Charity night in the Algarve: catch live music near Lagos and support dog shelter Cadela Carlota

Travellers spending late October in the western Algarve have an easy way to give something back while enjoying a night out. Cadela Carlota, the animal welfare association that runs a shelter for dogs (and cats) in the Lagos region, is holding a fundraising evening of live music on Friday, October 23 at the Centro Social de Almádena, a short drive from Lagos.

The band Nightshift, described by the charity as friends of the shelter, will play from around 8.30pm until roughly 11.30pm. Doors and the bar open at 7.30pm. Entry is just €5 per person, with all proceeds going to the shelter, and there will be a raffle plus Cadela Carlota merchandise on sale. Volunteers will be on hand to talk about the animals in the charity's care and how to adopt, foster, donate or volunteer.

The gig caps a busy stretch for the association. Throughout recent weeks its volunteers have had a stall at the Armazém Regimental on the Praça Infante Dom Henrique, the historic square in the centre of Lagos, where they have met residents and visitors, sold merchandise and explained the realities of caring for a large shelter population. The team also appeared at the AFPOP Expo, extending its reach to a wider audience.

For anyone visiting the Algarve out of season, events like this are a pleasant change from the usual beach-and-restaurant routine. The region around Lagos — Praia da Luz, Burgau and the fishing village atmosphere of Almádena itself — stays lively well into autumn, with mild weather, quieter roads and a strong community scene. A €5 charity gig is also a genuinely local experience: you'll be in a room with expats and Portuguese neighbours rather than a tourist crowd, and you might leave having learned something about animal welfare work in the area, or even having met your next four-legged family member.

If you're in the area on October 23, put the Centro Social de Almádena in your evening plans. Arrive early for a drink, buy a raffle ticket or two, and know that your night out is helping feed and care for dogs waiting for homes on the Algarve coast.