NEWTON, MA — One of the city's longest-running summer traditions returns Wednesday as the St. Mary of Carmen Society kicks off its annual Italian-American Festival in Nonantum.
The 91st annual Festa will take place from Wednesday, July 15, through Sunday, July 19, at Pellegrini Park on 11 Hawthorn St. The five-day free celebration features live entertainment, carnival rides, games, Italian food, a beer and wine garden, and religious processions.
Festival gates open at 5 p.m. Wednesday. Dan Fontaine and the Watch City Cadillacs are scheduled to perform beginning at 6 p.m., followed by Memphis Sun Mafia at 8:30 p.m. Thursday's entertainment includes Back to the '80s at 6 p.m. and The Breeze at 8:30 p.m. Live music, food vendors, carnival rides and games will continue throughout the weekend.
The festival runs from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. The Fabrizia Beer and Wine Garden will be open each evening, and Fiesta Shows will operate more than 15 carnival rides and games throughout the event.
Sunday's Feast Day begins with an 8 a.m. mass at Our Lady Help of Christians Parish on 573 Washington St. featuring readings and music in Italian. The annual procession honoring Our Lady of Mount Carmel begins at 2 p.m. and travels through Nonantum before returning to the festival grounds. A candlelight procession from Pellegrini Park to Our Lady's Church is scheduled for 10 p.m. to conclude the celebration.
The St. Mary of Carmen Society first organized the festival in 1935 during the Great Depression. Over the past nine decades, Festa has grown into one of Newton's largest annual events while remaining a longstanding tradition in Nonantum, a neighborhood with deep Italian-American roots. Organizers say the festival attracts more than 10,000 visitors each year and continues to bring together generations of families to celebrate the community's heritage and traditions.
A complete entertainment schedule and additional festival information are available online.
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