Metro Philadelphia<\/p>\n
If there\u2019s one thing South Philadelphia<\/a> knows how to do, it\u2019s throw a party \u2014 and this one comes with a century of tradition, plenty of pasta and a whole lot of red, white and green.<\/p>\n The Annual St. Nicholas of Tolentine Authentic Italian Festival<\/a> returns Sunday, Oct. 4, bringing thousands of people to the 1700 block of South 9th Street for an afternoon filled with food, music, dancing, family fun and a celebration of Italian heritage.<\/p>\n The free festival runs from noon to 8 p.m., but the day gets started with one of its most meaningful traditions: a religious procession through the neighborhood honoring beloved Catholic saints.<\/p>\n Statues of the saints will make their way through the streets, accompanied by faithful followers and the renowned Verdi Band playing traditional Italian marches. It\u2019s a tradition that connects today\u2019s South Philadelphia with the generations of Italian immigrants who helped shape the neighborhood more than a century ago.<\/p>\n Come hungry<\/p>\n The festival is essentially a giant open-air invitation to eat your way through Italian-American favorites.<\/p>\n Food vendors will include The Kitchen Consigliere, Termini Bros Bakery, Del Buono Bakery and others. Expect meatball and porchetta sandwiches, pasta and gravy, pizza, sausage and peppers, arancini, broccoli rabe, eggplant rollatini, escarole and beans, Italian seafood and rice, tripe, Italian cakes and desserts.<\/p>\n There will also be wine, beer and cordials available.<\/p>\n A tradition more than 100 years in the making<\/p>\n Italian festivals have been part of life at St. Nicholas of Tolentine Church<\/a> for more than 100 years.<\/p>\n The parish was established in 1912 by Italian immigrants who wanted to maintain a connection to their homeland while building a new life in Philadelphia. Through the decades, faith, family, food and tradition remained central to the community.<\/p>\n The current-day festival began in 1987 as part of the parish\u2019s 75th anniversary celebration. Nearly four decades later, it has become an annual South Philly tradition, taking place each year on the first Sunday of October.<\/p>\n Rev. Nick Martorano, pastor of St. Nicholas of Tolentine, said the goal is to make the celebration something the entire neighborhood can enjoy.<\/p>\n “We wanted to create an opportunity for our entire community, not just our parishioners, to come together and celebrate one of the many diverse cultures that make our neighborhood so great,” he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Music and dancing\u00a0<\/p>\n Of course, no South Philly festival would be complete without music.<\/p>\n DJ Spanky Brown will keep things moving throughout the day, while a packed entertainment lineup will offer everything from the Quaker City String Band and traditional Italian-American music to a full-on Philadelphia<\/a> dance party.<\/p>\n Philadelphia native Matthew Maisano kicks off the featured performances at 1 p.m. The vocalist has performed across the country, with a repertoire spanning classical music, opera, musical theater, American standards and pop.<\/p>\n At 1:30 p.m., the Vivaci Dancers<\/a> will bring traditional dance to the street \u2014 and audience members will have the opportunity to join in.<\/p>\n At 2 p.m., the festival will turn its attention to the Italian-American songbook with \u201cThat\u2019s Amore: The Great Italian-American Songbook,\u201d featuring Jenna Esposito, Steve Ritrovato\u2019s sounds of Sinatra and musicians from the City Rhythm Orchestra.<\/p>\n Then comes one of the festival\u2019s annual crowd favorites: Philly accordion maestro Nick Desiderio at 3:30 p.m.<\/p>\n The Quaker City String Band takes the stage at 4:30 p.m., bringing its distinctive Philadelphia string-band sound to 9th Street.<\/p>\n And then, at 5 p.m., the festival has a special surprise in store: The New York Tenors. Andy Cooney, Daniel Rodriguez and Christopher Macchio will join forces for a special performance.\u00a0<\/p>\n The evening continues with local DJ favorite Bob Kelly at 6 p.m., followed by the City Rhythm \u201cSound of Philadelphia Dance Party\u201d at 7 p.m. Expect plenty of horns, singers and party music inspired by the legendary Sound of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n Bring the kids\u00a0<\/p>\n Families can keep the little ones busy with rides, face painting, games, sand art and other activities throughout the afternoon.<\/p>\n The result is a celebration that feels part festival, part neighborhood block party \u2014 just one with saints, string bands, accordion music, Italian pastries and enough food to feed a city.<\/p>\n Admission is free and the event is open to the public. Food and drinks are pay-as-you-go.<\/p>\n The Annual St. Nicholas of Tolentine Authentic Italian Festival takes place Sunday, Oct. 4, from noon to 8 p.m. on the 1700 block of South 9th Street. For more information, visit stnicksitalianfestival.com<\/a> or follow the festival on social media.\u00a0<\/p>\n