Thu 8/13 @ 6-10PM
Fri 8/14 @ 6-11PM
Sat 8/15 @ 10AM-10PM
Sun 8/16 @ noon-10PM
Every real Clevelander knows about “The Feast.” You don’t even need to say more to conjure up visions of a packed Mayfield Road in Little Italy, lined with more food vendors than you could patronize in a year.
Its full name is the Feast of the Assumption, celebrating the day in Catholic tradition when Mary, the mother of Jesus, was taken into heaven. And it’s celebrated during the multi-day Feast event on its actual day, August 15, when there’s a 10am solemn mass at Holy Rosary Church, followed by a colorful procession through the streets of the neighborhood with costumed delegations representing different regions of Italy, a band, religious floats, prayer-chanting nuns, glad-handling politicians, and any neighbors and spectators who want to tag along.
This year is the feast’s 127th year, making it the oldest festival in northeast Ohio that isn’t a county fair. And from Thursday evening, through Sunday all day, there’s food, food and more food, with the restaurants along Mayfield serving food outside and cavatelli dinners in the church hall. The church yard also has food stalls as well as entertainment and games for kids, and bands perform in various spaces along the street.
While most people are there to eat, drink and celebrate, there’s also a shrine to Our Lady of the Assumption at the side of the church where the faithful can light candles and pray and a candlelight procession on the last evening of the event.
Get more information and a schedule of events here.