Overview
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This directory lists 314 Italian festivals held in 37 states and the District of Columbia between February and December of this year. The directory supplies each festival's name, month, city, state and contact information.
The directory was compiled by the Order Sons of Italy in America (OSIA), based on the research of Paul Porcelli, who is filming these festivals and plans to write a book about them.
The custom of honoring favorite saints with outdoor ceremonies was brought to America more than 100 years ago by the early Italian immigrants. The festivals vary in size and character. Some consist of only the saint's statue, a band and a procession while others are colossal celebrations that last several days and include symphonic bands, entertainers, food stands, rides and fireworks. A familiar sight at most festivals is the saint's statue covered with money or jewelry, later donated to the local church or saint's society.
The oldest festival is believed to be the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Hammonton, N.J., which this year celebrated its 134rd anniversary in July. The biggest festival is the Feast of San Gennaro held every September in New York City, which attracts about one million people. Other large festivals are in Milwaukee (Festa Italiana in July) and Clarksburg, W.V. (the Italian Heritage Festival in August).
The five states with the most festivals are: New York (58); New Jersey (45); Pennsylvania (35); California (25); and Massachusetts (25). Other states with significant numbers of festivals include Illinois (22), Ohio (17), Connecticut (16) and Rhode Island (9). (See below for full state tally.)
Some festivals include such traditional events as the flight of the angels (the Feast of the Madonna del Soccorso di Sciacca in Boston in August; the Feast of Our Lady of Laurentana in Berwyn, Ill., in September); the greased pole contest (the Feast of St. Peter in Gloucester, Mass., in June; the Feast of Saint Rocco in Malden, Mass., in August); and the Dance of the Lily, in which about 100 men carry a five-ton platform through the streets for hours (in Brooklyn, East Harlem and Massapequa, N.Y., in June and July).
The Sons of Italy directory is free. It can be found on the OSIA Web site at http://www.osia.org/public/pdf/2009_festivals_directory.pdf. For a printed copy, send a large (9" x 12"), self-addressed envelope with $2.05 in stamps on it to:
