Arthur Ave. & Mulberry St. to Shut Down and Bring Back the Ferragosto, San Gennaro Feasts


David Greco, co-owner of Mike’s Deli Arthur Avenue, carves up “The Michelangelo” with tomato on homemade focaccia.

By ISDA Staff

Tourists not familiar with this end of NYC will call it Belmont, but the Bronx neighborhood known as Arthur Avenue is a true, old school Little Italy.

It’s home to a string of century-old red sauce joints and family-run shops that serve a diverse clientele — from the Italian regulars and families who have been coming for decades, to all the welcomed newcomers.

A point that often mystifies those who live and work in the neighborhood is that some locals and tourists alike aren’t even aware of its existence, as many instead flock to Lower Manhattan’s historic Little Italy on Mulberry Street.

Men carry the statue of San Gennaro in New York City during a procession at the massive Feast that bears the saint’s name. (Sept. 20, 2014/iStock)

Thing is, you can’t go to one without visiting the other and both neighborhoods are once again holding larger-than-life feasts in September.

(Watch Greetings From Italian America below, and get an inside look at both of these iconic landmarks of Italian American culture.)

 

Ferragosto Festival: Bronx-Arthur Avenue (9.12.21)

Starting on Sunday, Sept. 12, 2021 with a 12:15 p.m. mass at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church (627 East 187th Street), the Ferragosto feast-goers will then spill into the neighborhood to take in the music, a never-ending selection of homemade food, entertainment and traditional merch.

Going back centuries, the Ferragosto tradition recognizes the end of the harvest season and to enjoy the fruits of those labors. It is a way for families to engage in part of the Italian culture and coming together in a solid bond of family and friendship, according to ArthurAvenueBronx.com.

 

The Feast of San Gennaro: Lower Manhattan-Mulberry Street (9.16.21-9.26.21)

Italian immigrants first ushered the tradition in to NYC’s Lower East Side in 1926, and what is now the San Gennaro Feast is entering its 94th celebration from Sept. 16-26.

The former immigrant enclave has lost some businesses and restaurants over the years, but the feast itself has expanded into a massive celebration of Italian heritage, culture, and — above all — food.

Thousands of people are expected during the 11-day, multi-block feast.

 

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