A guide to the North End’s annual Italian feast season

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Boston’s North End is steeped in Italian culture year-round. But in August, it's truly on display. Every year, locals and tourists flock to the area for feasts — a series of multi-day festivals (usually celebrating a Catholic saint) where everyone can experience some of the North End's unique traditions firsthand.

Though feast season technically begins in June, the celebrations are “a real injection to the city in the dog-day, late summer period,” said Dave O’Donnell, a spokesperson for the city’s tourism bureau, Meet Boston. O’Donnell says tourism to the city isn’t quite as robust in August, but hundreds of thousands of people pour into the North End annually for feast season. “They’re a regional driver of visitation,” he added.

So, what are people coming to see? Flying angels, statues of saints covered in dollar bills and a neighborhood-wide meatball competition, to name just a few of the attractions. You’re also guaranteed delicious Italian food, merriment and dazzling sights at every feast.

From now through early September, there will be a feast every week in the North End. (This weekend’s event is the St. Agrippina di Mineo Feast, which will run on Hanover Street in the North End until Sunday.) If you live in Boston, that means you’ve got some options to choose from. To help you decide, here are the feasts we think you’ll love whether you’re looking for a first-time experience, fantastic food, entertainment and more.

Madonna Della Cava Feast | Aug. 8 - Aug. 10 

The Society of the Madonna Della Cava holds its annual feast in the second week of August, at the same time as the one held in Pietraperzia, Sicily.

With its slightly smaller crowds, the Madonna Della Cava Feast is great for those looking for something on the quieter side or first-time attendees who may want to get a feel for the festivities before diving into the bigger feasts later this month. There will be a parade, live music from three local acts, and nearly 100 street vendors selling food, drinks, desserts and souvenirs like art and jewelry.

Fisherman’s Feast of the Madonna Del Soccorso di Sciacca | Aug. 14 - Aug. 17

Keep a $10 bill on hand when you go to the Fisherman’s Feast. That's the cost of admission to the feast’s annual meatball contest, where 10 local Italian restaurants will compete to see who makes the best meatball.

The contest, which is unique to the Fisherman’s Feast, was born out of a desire to showcase one of the best-known Italian foods, said Louis Strazzullo, feast co-chairman. This year’s competition will take place on Saturday, Aug. 16 between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Visitors can sample the meatballs and then vote for their favorite to win the people’s choice award. This goes without saying, but bring your appetite: These meatballs aren’t small. They’ve also got grilled kabobs, pizza, cannoli and more on deck.

Between meals, you can check out their cooking stage to learn culinary techniques from professional chefs or chill in the beer garden during the feast weekend. Just make sure to be there for the feast’s signature spectacle, the “Flight of the Angel,” at 9 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 17. After nightfall, two children dressed as angels will recite an Italian devotion prayer from the fire escape on North Street, just before another child — hoisted by a rope and pulley — soars down from a third-story window over the crowd on North Street as confetti flutters down. Strazzullo says he’s particularly excited about this year’s flight, because one of the side angels is his daughter, Lucy.

St. Anthony's Feast  | Aug. 28 - Aug. 31

“The Feast of all Feasts” honors the patrons St. Anthony and St. Lucy over Labor Day weekend. Food is a major attraction — they’ve got pizza, softball-sized arancini, pasta and meatballs alongside sweet bites like chocolate ravioli and zeppole. There are also games of skill (the ‘hit the target, win a prize!’ kind) and live music to enjoy through the entire weekend.

St. Anthony’s attracts more than 250,000 people to the North End annually. “ Be prepared for large crowds,” said Mike Bosco, a member of the feast committee.

The event closes with a 10-hour long procession with eight men carrying a 600-pound statue of St. Anthony. People cover the statue in money while a marching band plays. It’s an exciting, energetic tradition, and Bosco says everyone is welcome to join in the celebration. “During that weekend, we consider everybody Italian,” he said.

San Gennaro Feast | Sept. 5 - Sept. 7

This early September feast will close out the 2025 season with music, food, drinks, dancing and a procession featuring a shiny golden bust of San Gennaro, which was blessed by the late Pope Francis. The San Gennaro Feast falls on the weekend after Boston’s big Sept. 1 moving day. So tell your friends to put down the boxes, and rally up for a night of summer fun before true autumn vibes settle over the city.

P.S. — Learn more about the North End in our neighborhood guide. You can also see the full schedule of North End this summer on Meet Boston’s website.