Every year in early September, a stretch of the Bronx is transformed into a vibrant celebration of Italian culture, with stalls, music and intense aromas filling the streets. This is no ordinary festival, but the Bronx Little Italy’s Ferragosto Festival, an event with long-standing roots that has established itself as one of the most anticipated events for residents and visitors to the city. The event returns again this year on Sunday, Sept. 7, along Arthur Avenue, which many consider the real Little Italy of New York City.
The name Ferragosto, for those unfamiliar with Italian traditions, derives from the Latin Feriae Augusti, the rest of Augustus, a holiday instituted by the Roman emperor in 18 B.C. to allow those who had worked in the fields to regain their energy: the days of rest started on the first day of August and consisted of festivals and celebrations, which were partly based on the Consualia, ancient Roman festivals dedicated to Conso, the god of barns and fertility.
Subsequent to the Roman period, Ferragosto was later Christianized as the Feast of the Assumption of Mary: according to Catholic tradition, after ending her earthly life, Mary was transferred to heaven with body and soul on August 15 itself. For the Catholic Church, in fact, Mary is the only person besides Christ to have been materially assumed into heaven
But Ferragosto became a popular holiday thanks to fascism. In 1931 the then Ministry of Communications established the “Special Express Trains for Popular Holiday Services,” which became the “Ferragosto Popular Trains” for all. These trains made it possible to reach tourist resorts in August at reduced prices, and it was a way to encourage the first mass tourism in then fascist Italy. Today in Italy it is a date marked in red on the calendar, celebrated everywhere with lunches, excursions and fireworks. But in the Bronx, Ferragosto has taken on a meaning of its own, becoming an opportunity to enhance the family-run businesses that populate this historic neighborhood.
Arthur Avenue and East 187th Street are not just two crossroads in the Bronx-they are the center of an Italian community that has weathered time, changing demographics and fashions. Butcher shops, pastry shops, bakeries and restaurants passed down through generations will be the stars of the day, offering visitors a variety of dishes and products rarely found outside Italy. The festival is free of charge, but there is a wide range of food on offer for a fee, and it is also an important economic opportunity for local merchants.
In addition to the food component, there will be room for music and entertainment: a stage set up on East 186th Street will host live performances for the duration of the event, from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The initiative, organized by the Belmont Business Improvement District, is designed to engage a diverse audience, from residents to tourists, with a focus on reviving traditions as an identity and attraction element.
The Arthur Avenue area is often considered more authentic than the far more touristy Mulberry Street in downtown Manhattan. Unlike the latter, here the Italian presence is still strongly rooted and visible in everyday life: in the bilingual signs, in the products sold, in the language spoken behind the counters. The Ferragosto festival, born more than two decades ago, has had the merit of strengthening this link between cultural identity and territory, promoting the generational continuity of businesses and offering a lively and popular alternative to the standardized narrative of “Little Italy.”
This year, for those arriving by car, parking will be available at Fordham University for $10, with a free shuttle operating from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The festival will also be held in case of rain.
The article The Bronx’s Ferragosto holiday in September comes from TheNewyorker.
