A feast that originated in Italy 600 years ago will return to Sinatra Drive in Hoboken next weekend. The 75th annual Hoboken Italian Festival, one of the largest Italian-American festivals in the tri-state area, is a four-day feast offering great food, a firework extravaganza, and an 800-pound statue of the Mother Mary carried through the streets of Hoboken.
The procession of the statue, which is the centerpiece of the feast, takes place on Saturday, Sept. 12 and gives visitors a chance to see a reenactment of the “Blessing of the Fleet,” a 600-year-old tradition from the Italian city of Molfetta. Pizza- and cannoli-eating contests will have visitors filling up, while a grape-crushing contest will feature Hoboken’s police and fire departments competing head-to-head.
Live music from some of the area’s best bands will be showcased each night. The Benjamins, one of New Jersey’s hottest cover bands, performs on Thursday, Sept. 10, while the Bronx Wanderers, a Dion cover band, is featured on Sunday, Sept. 13. Make sure to check the sidebar for a full list of scheduled events.
A storied history
The festival originated as the Feast of the Madonna dei Martiri in the 12th century. Translating to Our Lady of the Martyrs, the feast began when crusaders passing through the port city of Molfetta on their way to battle found a statue of the Mother Mary floating in the water. In 1399, the city held the first feast to honor the discovered icon and later took the Virgin Mary as their matron.
The Society of the Madonna Dei Martiri was first incorporated in New Jersey in 1927 and took up residence at 230 Willow Ave. in Hoboken, with the sole purpose of putting on the best feast this side of the Atlantic.
In the mid-’60s, the feast’s popularity was at its highest, even welcoming many dignitaries from Molfetta including mayors, bishops and priests. More recently, the feast has welcomed dignitaries like the Papal Nuncio to the United Nations. An estimated 45,000 people came to celebrate in 1999, according to the organizer’s website.
The Society of the Madonna Dei Martiri goes to great lengths to maintain the religious and cultural legitimacy of the festival, even carrying the statue all the way to Pier A, where a waiting boat ferries the statue through the water. According to a mission statement, visitors in the crowd are emotionally moved by the faithful reenactments.
Phrases like “I have not seen my Madonna on the water since I was little, back in Molfetta,” are a common occurrence during the festival.
Sean Allocca can be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Thursday, Sept. 10
Heroes of the State – Classic rock cover band from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Benjamins – High-energy rock cover band from 7 to 10 p.m.
Annual Pizza-Eating Contest – beginning at 8:30 p.m.
Friday, Sept. 11
Monte’s Pythons – Cover band from 5 to 7 p.m.
Mirage – Italian-American wedding band from 7 to 11 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12
Johnny Maggio – Covers of Sinatra, Bennett, and Martin from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
R3 Bros. – Italian-American music sensation from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m.
Aaron Caruso – Songs from Sergio Franchi, Andrea Boccelli from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.
R3 Bros. – Italian-American music sensation from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Aaron Caruso – Songs from Sergio Franchi, Andrea Boccelli from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
R3 Bros. – Italian-American music sensation from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Oro Puro – Italian show band from 7 to 11 p.m.
Annual Cannoli-Eating Contest – beginning at 8:30 p.m.
Fireworks Extravaganza – beginning at 9 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 13
Jersey Kidz – children’s pop rock band from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
Hannah Montana – portrayed by Courtney Searle from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.
Annual Grape-Stomping Contest – Hoboken Police Dept. vs. Hoboken Fire Dept. from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Krystal – Rock band from Hoboken from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m.
The Bronx Wanderers – Tribute to Dion, Frankie Valli from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Lee Logan & The Legendary Drifters – Singing “The Drifters” songs from 8 to 9 p.m.
The Bronx Wanderers – Tribute to Dion, Frankie Valli from 9 to 10 p.m.
50/50 Raffle drawing – beginning at 10 p.m.