Uniquely NYC
Feast of San Gennaro
The Feast of San Gennaro is New York's longest running, best known and
most religiously revered street festival. It is held in New York City
and Naples every year to commemorate the life and death of Saint
Jannuarius, the patron saint of Naples, who was martyred in 305 CE. In
recent years, the festival has also taken place in Los Angeles,
transported there by Italian immigrants who relocated from New York to
the west coast. However, the event on the west coast is a more humble
affair.
The first Feast was held in New York City in 1926 by immigrants from
Naples, who settled along Mulberry Street in the Little Italy section of
Manhattan and decided to continue the tradition of honoring their
beloved saint.
Eventually, the Feast would grow into an 11-day event. While the
religious component still plays the leading role in the Feast of San
Gennaro, there is also a great party atmosphere. Over a million
attendees of various cultural and ethnic backgrounds fill the streets of
Little Italy to enjoy Italian food, listen to live music and participate
in various fun activities such as a cannoli eating contest and carnival
rides. The streets are adorned with festive banners and arches in the
colors of the Italian flag.
Culmination of the festival happens in September, when a Celebratory
Mass is held at the Most Precious Blood Church on Mulberry Street. It is
immediately followed by a religious procession carrying the statue of
Saint Gennaro.
Over the course of the 11 day festival, Little Italy restaurants welcome
the public, with many of them even providing outdoor eating facilities
for the occasion. In addition, street vendors line up along Mulberry and
Mott Streets to sell Italian food and a variety of souvenirs.
The Feast is organized and presented by the Figli di San Gennaro, a
non-profit organization.