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The Feast of San Gennaro is a celebration of faith in honor of the Patron Saint of Naples, Italy. Little Italy in New York City celebrates the Feast of San Gennaro from September 12 to 22, 2024. During those 11 days, Little Italy is a red, white and green extravaganza with live music, special guests, a great parade and delicious Italian food!
History
San Gennaro was the Bishop of Benevento, Italy. He was caught up in the persecution by Emperor Diocletian. San Gennaro was tortured but refused to denounce Christ. He was thrown into a furnace and somehow came through it with no serious injuries. He was then beheaded.
San Gennaro is honored as Naple’s principal patron. Neopolitans pray to him for protection from fires, earthquakes, plagues, droughts and Mt. Vesuvius.
When Italian immigrants settled in New York City at the turn of the 20th century, the Neopolitans settled on Mulberry Street in Little Italy. In 1926, the Neopolitans had a one day block party for San Gennaro. Year after year, it continued and grew until now it lasts 11 days and more than one million people will be coming to Little Italy for the celebration.
The Celebration
Every festival needs a parade and the Grand Procession is a fantastic parade. The September 16th procession will have marching bands, entertainers, dancers, revelers, colorful floats and the most significant feature, the statue of San Gennaro.
This year’s Grand Marshall will be Chef Anne Burrell. She is known for her rustic Italian dishes that feature simple and pure ingredients.
Chef Burrell began her television career on “Iron Chef America” leading to her own Food Network show, “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef.” She now hosts “America’s Worst Cooks.
If you’d like to go to the San Gennaro Feast New York City Festival and look the part, see these colorful, unique clothes.
The festival stage is located on the corner of Grand and Mott Streets in Little Italy. The lineup of live entertainment will start at 6:30 pm each evening.
There will be a Blessing of the Stands on September 12, 2024, at 6 pm. A Solemn High Mass Celebrating the Patron Saint of Naples will be held at the Shrine Church of the Most Precious Blood on September 19, 2024, at 6 pm.
Entertainment
There will be entertainment throughout the festival. The performers include
- Johnny Mandolin & Friends
- Jessa V Quartet
- Eric DeLauro of the Rat Pack Band
- Giglio Band
- Live Radio Broadcast WCBS-FM hosted by Joe Causi
- Angelo Venuto & Friends
- Vanessa Rucci
- Rudy Tinelli
- Jenna Esposito
A Taste of Italy
For almost a century, the San Gennaro festival in Little Italy has been known for the aromas in the air of fried dough and sausages and peppers. So many people come to stroll the strip of food vendors, trying to decide zeppole or cannoli. The Feast regulars have learned how to party with food in one hand.
One thing you can expect at the Feast is professional eaters amazing everyone. This year will have the first annual Zeppole Eating Competition sponsored by Danny on the Corner. And then you can watch the Meatball Eating Competition. The most famous competition is the Cannoli Eating Contest with brave contestants attacking mountains of cannolis from Ferrara Bakery. This year’s festival will see the second annual Pizza Eating Contest.
There are so many great Italian restaurants in Little Italy, so how do you choose just one when you want an actual sit down meal? Here are the 10 Best Italian Restaurants in Little Italy as chosen by the users of TripAdvisor.
- Pep’s On Grand
- Benito One
- Ferrara Bakery & Cafe
- Gelso & Grand
- Il Cortile Restaurant
- Paesana Of Little Italy
- La Bella Ferrara
- Casa D’Angelo – NYC
- Caffe Palermo
- La Mala Ristorante
Visiting New York City
If you’d like to go to New York City for the Feast of San Gennaro, you should consider booking your stay here, where you can find rates as low as $105 a night.
If you’re going to be flying into New York City, book your airline ticket here and use the promo code “FLIGHT45” so you can save money.
While you’re in New York City, you can see some of the sights and learn about what you’re seeing on a tour. The Chinatown and Little Italy Food Tour NYC and NYC East Side Culture & Food Tasting Tour are good values, informative and you get food sampling.
The Feast of San Gennaro New York City Festival
The Feast of San Gennaro New York City Festival is a celebration of faith in honor of the Patron Saint of Naples, Italy. It is an eleven day celebration that takes place in the Little Italy neighborhood of NYC. The event includes live music, a grand parade, special guests, and of course delicious Italian food and drinks.
Event Type: Event
Event Attendance Mode: OfflineEventAttendanceMode
Event Status: EventScheduled
Performer: Person
Start Date: 2024-09-12 18:00
End Date: 2024-09-22 21:00
Availability: InStock
Availability Starts: 2024-09-12T18:00:00