“Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, there is entertainment on the bandstand from favorites like Vinyl Groove and Blue Man Group”
Judging by the notes and messages that we receive around here, it’s clear that some Dig readers are new to the city and looking for unique activities to keep themselves occupied. That’s not only totally cool but also the way it’s always been; Boston, after all, is a metropolis built on the sweat and love of transients. Always will be.
What’s important, though, is that newcomers embrace at least some old traditions. Or else they die, ya know. And one endlessly fun (and delicious) annual event by any measure is the Fisherman’s Feast, which will go down on North and Lewis Street in the North End from Thursday, August 18 through Sunday, August 21.
Even if you’re not into the food that will be readily available on every corner, you’ll at least want to come and check out the religious idols on wheels that people pin money to. It’s a spectacle that you won’t soon forget.
More from the organizers below …
The Fisherman’s Feast is an annual event that began in Boston in 1910 and is based on a tradition that goes back to the 16th century in Sciacca Sicily. The Feast is based on the devotion of the fishermen from Sciacca to the Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help). Each August since 1910, the Feast has been held in Boston’s historic North End on North and Fleet Streets, making it the North End’s oldest continuously running Italian festival. The Feast traditionally starts on Thursday when the statue of the Madonna is moved from her home in the Fisherman’s Club to a chapel at the center of the feast. This will be her home throughout the weekend. Each night and during weekend days there is entertainment on the bandstand and vendors selling food as well as crafts. The Feast culminates on Sunday night with the spectacular “Flight of the Angel”.
Boston’s Fisherman’s Feast is back for the 112th anniversary, bringing the one-of-a-kind festival back to Boston. Boston’s longest running Italian festival will be celebrated from Thursday, August 18 through Sunday, August 21, 2021.
Each August since 1910, the Feast has been held in Boston’s historic North End on North and Fleet Streets. Traditionally starting on Thursday evening when the statue of the Madonna is moved from her home in the Fisherman’s Club to a chapel at the center of the feast, the fishermen that founded the Feast are remembered with a blessing of the fishing waters. Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday, there is entertainment on the bandstand from favorites like Vinyl Groove, Blue Man Group, and Felicita & Friends, along with vendors selling Italian delicacies as well as crafts.
The Feast culminates on Sunday night with the spectacular “Flight of the Angel.” Called a “spectacle not to be missed” by National Geographic, this year’s Flight of the Angel will close out the 112th Fisherman’s Feast at 8 pm on Sunday, August 21th.
Dig Staff means this article was a collaborative effort. Teamwork, as we like to call it.