The Feast of San Gennaro returned to Little Italy Thursday, much to the delight of vendors and pedestrians alike.
The sound of Italian music and laughter wafted on the air alongside smoke that drifted in plumes from sizzling food. Native New Yorkers and tourists alike weaved through stalls clutching sausages, pizzas, and beverages.
Danny traveled from New Jersey with his wife Claudia, and daughter, Amelia just to attend the start of the Feast of San Gennaro–a tradition the family says they have partaken in every year for the past ten years. They added that Little Italy is their favorite place to visit.
“I enjoy seeing all of the different people and grab a bite to eat and drink–just enjoy Italian food. We love it,” Danny said, adding that his daughter is looking forward to playing a few carnival games and riding the Ferris wheel.
Karen King the owner of the oldest cheese shop in the United States, Alleva Dairy, shared that the week leading up to the festival was extremely stressful as she prepared numerous homemade dishes like eggplant parmigiana, mozzarella rice balls, tortellini, and more for the start of the Feast of San Gennaro.
“We’ve been making food for the past week every day, and the chef’s been working every single day. Usually Thursdays are very, very slow but I think if this is any indication, we might have a really great feast! I’m very excited about it,” King said.
In addition to her storefront on Mulberry Street, King had a stand dedicated to gelato, pastries, and other baked goods as well as another booth for her tantalizing hot dishes–lasagna, baked ziti, and more.
“I have some optimism because people are coming out. I’m optimistic about our future,” King said, regarding her business in Little Italy.
Long-time radio show host and disc jockey Joey Reynolds at WGR TV 2 released his own cheesecake at the Feast of San Gennaro.
“We went through a lot of pain with it, it’s handmade. I had someone buy a whole cake, I didn’t think I was going to make any money,” Reynolds joked.
The San Gennaro Feast will run until Sept. 25
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