Boston’s North End Comes Alive with Music, Faith, and Flavor During its Beloved Summer Italian Feasts
Written by Kaelie Piscitello
Boston’s tourists come to the North End for its historical backbone. They tour the Freedom Trail and wander through the Old North Church, where Paul Revere started his famed ride. They admire the cobblestoned streets and imagine walking down them on a warm colonial day.
Only New England natives seem to notice the Italian touches on the neighborhoods, and the immigrant history parallels the area’s colonial history. The North End hosts a series of Italian feasts, sprightly outdoor festivals filled with delicious food, live performances, and other cultural events every summer.
Each Feast honors one Saint, paying homage to many Italian Americans’ rich Catholic roots. The people in charge of the feasts place relics of the Saints and parade them down the streets to honor them. This year, the feasts will run from August to early September.
Italian Immigration in Boston
Southern Italian Americans have called the North End home since the 1860s when many immigrated due to the many work opportunities and welcoming Italian community in the area.
Almost 90% of the people living there during the 1920s had Italian ancestry. Today, around 30% of the people there identify as Italian, but the neighborhood still remembers its roots.
The neighborhood still hosts many traditional Italian restaurants, which people all over Massachusetts love to dine at. People lose their minds over Mike’s Pastry and will wait in line for up to an hour for cannolis and lobster tails. Modern Pastry rivals it and some prefer their desserts to Mike’s. Either way, everyone should stop for Italian treats.
St. Agrippina di Mineo
Every year, St. Agrippina’s Feast happens on Hanover Street in Boston and lasts all weekend, starting on Thursday. The Feast kicks off at 7 p.m. with an opening ceremony and the procession of St. Agrippina.
Legit Band performs live music all weekend, and many vendors selling foods, such as arancini, line the streets. Beer gardens will also sell beverages to the public. The North End will host St. Agrippinia’s Feast from August 1 to August 4 this year.
Madonna Della Cava
The Madonna Della Cava has run for over 100 years and welcomes people from all over the state to celebrate. This Feast coincides with celebrations in Sicily and honors the miracle of Madonna Della, where a young boy had dreams about Mary telling him where she lay and asking him to uncover her. Eventually, he found a painting where she described, and the villagers of Trapani, Sicily, honored her with a shrine.
In Boston, people honor Madonna with live music, a procession, and lots of tasty food. This year, the Feast of Madonna Della Cava will occur on Hanover and Battery Street during the second week of August.
Fisherman’s Feast
The Fisherman’s Feast is Boston’s oldest celebration, with 115 years of celebrations. It began in 1910, and the tradition dates back to Sciacca, Sicily. It demonstrates the Sicilian fishermen’s dedication to Madonna del Soccorso.
Fisherman’s Feast offers four nights of free live entertainment, with many different artists performing throughout each day in many genres. In true Italian fashion, they also host an annual meatball-making competition.
On Sunday, the famous angel flight will occur. A young angel will fly across the North End as the feast’s grand finale, and the happy crowd will greet her. Fisherman’s Feast will take place from August 14-17 this year.
St. Anthony’s Feast
St. Anthony’s Feast dates back to the early 20th century, and about 250,000 people attend it yearly. As one of the most significant feasts hosted in the North End, St. Anthony’s hosts many events outside of traditional vendors and live music. They also host a culinary pavilion with cooking classes, demonstrations, and competitions.
St. Anthony’s Feast has a more religious tone than its counterparts and offers Catholic masses outdoors with Eucharist adoration. All devotees receive blessings and consume blessed St. Anthony bread.
St. Anthony’s Feast will occur from August 22 to August 25 this year.
Santa Rosalia di Palermo
Santa Rosalia di Palermo is a small but final Feast of the season. It hosts an annual procession filled with streamers, loud, live music, and endearing celebrations throughout the streets.
The decorations and lights resembling the Italian flag and symbols will stay up for one final weekend of fun, and people continue engaging in the beer gardens, dancing to the popular live music, and enjoying the streets of stalls offering arancini and giant meatballs.
Santa Rosalia di Palermo will fall on the weekend of September 6 this year, and Boston will close out the Italian celebrations with a bang.
