founded in 1994, festival nacional de dança de teresópolis is teresópolis' annual dance festival, focusing predominantly on ballet. the objective of the festival is to raise, promote and enhance cultural exchange through dance, with participation from various brazilian dance groups, in various categories and modalities.

the festival attracts an estimated 2,000 people to the city, to compete or just simply to enjoy the various shows that are on offer. there are also workshops open to the public, with participation from renowned members of the dance scene.

emperor dom pedro iinvited rhineland germans to settle petrópolis and, every year, the city hosts it totally authentic german bauernfest, or the feast of bauernfest german-colonist - the second largest german celebration in brazil.

it occurs in the brazilian winter months of june and july, lending a slightly chillier atmosphere more akin to the famous oktoberfest, taking place in petrópolis in june.