Things to Do: Feast of San Gennaro, NYC

Feast of San Gennaro   September 10-20, 2015 (held annually on the last two weeks of September).  Along Mulberry Street, between Canal and Houston streets.  Free.  This annual extravaganza celebrates the patron saint of Naples.  Festivities include two parades featuring the Statue of San Gennaro; one is held on the Official Feast Day.  Said to be the oldest and largest such festival celebrating the Feast of San Gennaro, it began in 1926 as a one-day religious celebration and now attracts more than 3 million people.  I believe it because when I attended it was body to body tight on the street.  My daughter once lived in Little Italy and was not fond of this festival because it was so hard for here to come and go from her apartment during these weeks.  Sure enough, when we passed her old residence the stoop was in use as seating.  I first heard about this festival from West Coast friends who grew up in the area and returned every year to attend.  It took me a long time to finally get there, and when I did my attendance was by pure chance.  I was in town, walking around with my daughter, and we came upon it.  What a lucky happenstance!  Food is the main attraction, and the sausage sandwich--it is impossible to miss the aroma and sound of sizzling sausages, onions, and green peppers--is a must.  And this is where I had my first, and last, fried Oreo.  A word of advice--leave the Cannoli Eating Contest to the pros.  Many celebrants opt to sit down in one of the open-air Italian restaurants and really feast--perhaps with a nice glass of wine--while they watch the crowd pass by.  Live entertainment is also part of the mix.   You might find that it all looks familiar.  That might be because this festival has been featured in numerous TV programs and also in “The Godfather Part II” and “The Godfather Part III.”





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images ©2015 Carole Terwilliger Meyers