AP PHOTOS: Brazil's Cavalhadas festival celebrates the Holy Spirit

PIRENOPOLIS, Brazil (AP) — The heartland Brazilian city of Pirenópolis is hosting its annual Cavalhadas festival, a Holy Spirit celebration where participants ride horses, wear masks and don floral headpieces.

The tradition began in the 1800s with a Portuguese priest who wanted to celebrate the Holy Spirit — one of the entities of the Roman Catholic Church’s trinity — and also commemorate the victory of Iberian Christian knights over the Moors.

The festivities include an open-air reenactment of a battle between Christian warriors and Muslims. At the end, the defeated Moors are converted to Catholicism.

This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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A reveler wears a hat and costume during the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival, in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A Christian knight fires a gun during a battle reenactment at the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Masked revelers celebrate the hymn of the Divine Holy Spirit during the Cavalhadas Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A girl stands in front of the church of Our Lady of the Rosary during the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival, in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A masked reveler rides a horse during in the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A reveler stands behind the flag of Our Lady of the Rosary at the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival, in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A woman carries the flag of Our Lady of the Rosary during the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Girls pose for photos in front of the altar of the Divine Holy Spirit, during the Cavalhadas Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Congregants leave Mass at Our Lady of the Rosary church during the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A family wearing costumes attends the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival, in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A reveler arrives to take part in the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A Christian knight rides a horse during a battle reenactment at the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Revelers participate in a procession of the Holy Spirit during the Cavalhadas Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Revelers participate in the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival, in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A masked reveler and his horse participate in the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Moorish knights, in red, and Christian knights, in blue, ride horses during a battle reenactment at the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Monday, June 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Masked revelers take part in the Cavalhadas, or Holy Spirit, Festival in Pirenopolis, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, June 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

WHEATON, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 13, 2026--

Adair & Company (“Adair”), a procurement and supply chain value creation firm serving middle-market private equity firms and their portfolio companies, today announced the appointment of Kim Killian as Chief Revenue Officer, effective January 1, 2026.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260113821589/en/

Kim’s appointment reflects Adair’s continued investment in helping clients realize faster EBITDA improvement, stronger cash flow, and more repeatable value creation without the friction and overhead of traditional consulting models. As CRO, Kim will focus on expanding Adair’s national reach while preserving the firm’s defining advantage: senior-only execution that quickly creates real value, builds internal capability to sustain it, and then gets out of the way.

Kim brings more than 25 years of operating and revenue leadership experience, with a decade of focus on private equity-backed middle market organizations. A three-time C-suite executive, she has built and scaled commercial engines across the full investment lifecycle, from diligence and early post-close value creation through exit readiness and acquisition.

Most recently, Kim Killian served as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Marketing Officer at Messina Group, where she helped transform the firm into a trusted partner to PE sponsors and portfolio company leaders. During her tenure, she grew the consulting business by 10x, secured the firm’s first PE clients, and built a modern revenue operations foundation to support scalable growth.

Earlier in her career, Kim co-founded and led the commercial organization of a healthcare technology company from startup through acquisition by Optum (UnitedHealth Group), gaining firsthand experience navigating the full M&A lifecycle and competing successfully against much larger incumbents.

In her new role, Kim will oversee all revenue-generating functions, including sales, marketing, strategic partnerships, and business development. She will work closely with operating partners to deepen relationships, improve market coverage, and ensure Adair’s offerings remain tightly aligned with the outcomes sponsors and management teams care most about: speed, materiality, and durability of results.

“Kim Killian understands how PE sponsors think—and how portfolio companies actually operate,” said Noah Adair, Founder and CEO of Adair & Company. “She has built scalable growth engines before, but more importantly, she knows how to help clients win during the moments that matter most. As we grow, Kim will help us extend that impact to more sponsors and portfolio companies.”

“Adair has earned its reputation by doing the work differently,” said Kim. “Clients don’t need more slide decks. They need experienced operators who move fast, deliver real financial results, and leave their organizations stronger. My focus is on scaling that model thoughtfully—so more sponsors and portfolio companies can experience the benefits.”

About Adair & Company

Adair & Company is a procurement and supply chain value creation firm serving middle-market companies and private equity portfolio companies. Founded by procurement and supply chain veteran Noah Adair, the firm deploys senior operators to deliver fast, margin expansion and working capital improvement through strategic sourcing, inventory optimization, and comprehensive PE support across the deal cycle. With a performance-based fee structure and a track record of delivering an average 6x ROI, Adair & Company partners with clients to create value, train teams for sustainability, and drive lasting operational improvement. For more information, visit www.Adaircompany.com.

Kim Killian has been appointed Chief Revenue Officer by Adair & Company effective January 1, 2026.