In Boston’s North End, the end of summer is marked by a feast. Saint Anthony’s Feast is the largest Italian Religious Festival in New England and to be honest, feast is an understatement.
Flowers float above your head directing you to an endless line of vendors selling pizza, rice balls, fried dough, chocolate covered bananas and more. You can barely move in some parts because so many people attend, but it’s worth it.
I ate so much that I actually got a stomach ache on Sunday night, the kind you get when you are a little kid and you eat too many sweets at a birthday party or something. But like I said, it was definitely worth it.
Last Sunday as I a plowed through the crowd, sticking out like a sore thumb with my red hair, fair skin and blue eyes, I couldn’t help but feel nostalgic. My friend Shannon’s dad has lived in the North End since we were younger and I always loved heading in to Boston to stay with them. It was there that I realized I actually love falling asleep to a noisy street and occasional siren instead of peace and quiet.
I have always loved the North End because you feel like you are right in the heart of the city, but overall it is pretty safe. As kids Shannon and I could walk around like we owned the place – and it seemed as though there was a local at every corner ready to greet her, their good friend and neighbor’s daughter.
In Boston, there are some bars where everyone knows your name, but for Shannon and her dad, it’s a whole neighborhood.
At night we’d be whisked into a restaurant on the way to her dad’s apartment, just to stop in and say hello, and we immediately began a conversation with the bartenders, who would pour us diet cokes before we could even get our bearings.
Last Sunday was no different as we began the night at the bar of Artu’s, which was followed by a quick stop at The Corner Cafe. I still feel like a kid when I visit them except instead of diet cokes, we order wine.
Sounds like a good memory. I always love festivals like that, the food sounds great.:)
Ahhh, so bummed I missed the Saint Anthony’s Feast this year! Pretty pictures, though. Almost feel like I was there…
i totally forgot about the feast with this stupid hurricane coming last weekend. so glad you had fun!
I love these kinds of festivals. They’re a great way to experience different cultures and sample lots of yummy food.
Fun times!!! I loved the Italian festivals when I lived in NYC. What did you eat that made your stomach hurt?
Wow! What a wonderful memory to have, and how fun to get to experience the feast as an adult! I’ve never been to anything like that before, and I would love to check one out!
I grew up Portuguese, and we also have a St. Anthony’s celebration. There is a parade, my mom and all my aunts were queens at one point in time. The best part was definitely the food! Although I did not live near my grandparents growing up, whenever we visited them I always hoped it was during the St. Anthony’s festa season!
I saw the decorations when I was there and thought it looked like Christmas. All I could think was “does Boston really leave up their holiday stuff all year?!” Thanks for clueing me in on the truth!