Sat 8/12 @ noon-midnight
Sun 8/13 @ noon-11PM
Mon 8/14 @ 6-11PM
Tue 8/15 @ noon-10PM
“The Feast” is a tradition reaching so far back in Cleveland history — 1898, to be exact — that unlike the many other ethnic church festivals in the area, it needs no explanation and no qualifiers. It’s just “The Feast.”
Technically it’s a religious festival, celebrating the Assumption of the body of Jesus’ mother Mary into heaven. The feast day is August 15, and the festival centers around that day, when there’s a solemn Mass at 10am at Holy Rosary Church in Little Italy, which organizes the Feast. That’s followed by the procession through the neighborhood’s narrow, crowded streets, starting about 11:15am, with both adults and children costumed to represent different regions of Italy, religious floats, children in Communion dress, priests and local politicians, and anyone who wants to join in the celebration following them.
Then there’s one last day of food, including a cavatelli dinner in the church hall, hames, gambling and music up and down around the street, closing with a candlelight procession an prayer service at 9pm.
This year the 124th Feast kicks off on Saturday, with restaurants lining the Mayfield Road with stands, music everywhere, food, inflatables and games in the churchyard, and the casino in the church hall. Sunday and Monday there’s more of the same, although Monday’s celebration is evening only. Wear comfortable shows and come prepared to … feast.
holy-rosary.org/schedule-of-events
Cleveland, OH 44106