Boston’s North End Celebrates Italian Heritage During Feast Season Now Through Sept. 7
Italian feast season is underway in Boston’s North End. Experience the best of Italian food, music, and culture now through early September. Here’s a look at what guests can sample…
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Italian feast season is underway in Boston's North End. Experience the best of Italian food, music, and culture now through early September. Here's a look at what guests can sample coming up over the next several weeks:
- Feast of Madonna Della Cava: Aug. 8-10. This feast will feature several delicacies, including fried calamari from "The Captain" and Nutella Bombolonis (doughnuts stuffed with Nutella).
- Fisherman's Feast: Aug. 14-17. For $10, guests can experience Boston's best meatballs at the feast's annual meatball contest or taste spumoni, an ice cream dessert layered with pistachio, cherry, and chocolate from Philip R's.
- St. Anthony's Feast: Aug. 28-31. As the largest feast of the festival season, this is not one to miss. Regina Pizzeria will offer its signature St. Anthony's pie, complete with sausage, peppers, and onions. For dessert, guests can taste zeppole, a deep-fried fritter dusted with confectioners' sugar, from the Della Rocco brothers.
- Feast of San Gennaro: Sept. 5-7. While details are still coming together for this celebration, festival organizers said that guests should expect returning favorites, such as a raw bar from Mare, bolognese from Carmelina's, and margarita pizza from Quattro.
According to a Boston.com report, the multi-week feasts are religious celebrations that have grown to become Italian-style block parties. The feasts have been a part of the North End for more than 100 years due in part to the neighborhood's Italian immigrants, whose descendants still operate many of them today. Each feast honors a Catholic saint in celebration of the saint's miracles or people's devotion to them. These feasts have traditionally involved food, music, decorations, entertainment, and religious processions.
Learn more about the heritage of these Italian feasts on the City of Boston's website.
