Little Italy shines again at San Gennaro fest
Plenty of food options are available for visitors of The Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy.
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
Mulberry Street in Little Italy was
jam-packed on Sept. 18 as thousands
fl ocked to the third day of
the Feast of San Gennaro — the Patron
Saint of Napoli.
Looking at the crowds, most unmasked,
the jubilant consent among visitors and
vendors was that “New York is back,”
as the iconic feast — which stretches
throughout 11 blocks of the Little Italy
neighborhood and is rapidly approaching
its 100th anniversary — returned on Sept.
16 after being canceled last year because of
the COVID-19 pandemic.
John Fratta, vice president of Figli di
San Gennaro, said he felt fantastic that
San Gennaro is back and the tradition is
continuing. His great-grandfather was the
fi rst president of the festival, which started
in 1926.
“Last year was a bummer for all of us,”
Fratta said, referring to the cancellation of
last year’s feast because of the COVID-19
pandemic. He urged people to be “smart”
PHOTOS BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
and wear a mask when visiting the feast
this year.
“We had a lot of people coming out the
fi rst night,” Fratta shared. “It was much
Thousands visited The Feast of San Gennaro on Mulberry Street in Little Italy
on Sept. 18 after it was cancelled in 2020 due to COVID-19.
more crowded than it’s ever been. I think
people just want to get out.”
For Kathy and Randall Slane from Park
Slope, Brooklyn, it was the second time
they attended the feast. The couple had
moved from California in late 2019 and
was looking forward to anything New York
City offers, but then COVID-19 put a hold
on their plans to explore the city last year.
“Oh man, it’s great to be out here and
have everybody together. This is New York
as far as I’m concerned,” Randall said.
“Especially after COVID. It’s nice to see
everybody out,” Kathy added. “So for us,
especially, it’s so nice to have the city back
to normal.”
They weren’t too concerned about the
Delta variant because both are vaccinated,
and Kathy said she’s an avid hand washer.
“I think if you’re cautious and careful
you’re safe,” Kathy said. “New York has
such a high vaccination rate and low positivity
rate right now, I think we both feel
pretty safe.”
Luke McDonough, who attended the
feast with his friends Lexy Leeds and Robbie
Rice, claimed his Italian roots because
his mom is Italian.
All of them are former Fordham students,
and they used to go to the San Gennaro
festival in the Bronx. But now they live
on Mulberry Street, and McDonough joked
that ten days might be a little long because
when he has to go to work, “there are all
these parties.”
“It’s a great festival celebrating my
heritage, and I’m very happy to be here,”
McDonough said. “I love it. I love the cigar
smoke, all the guys. It’s fun.”
“It’s nice to see the city of New York
back out on the streets,” Lexy Leeds added.
Ilana Buczyner immigrated from Italy
when she was six years old. She declared
that she loves Italian people. Her parents
are Holocaust survivors, and the Italian
people saved her life.
She still was worried about COVID-19,
mainly because of the crowds on Mulberry
Street, but said, “I like the variety
of people in New York coming out. Stop
the coronavirus.”
The Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy serves up fun for the kids.
10 September 23, 2021 Schneps Media