A word to the wise: The street festival portion of St. Ann’s Italian Festival will last just five nights this year – down from the traditional seven. So you’ll have to get your revelry in while you can.But never fear. All of your festival favorites will be back, including the St. Ann’s Guild’s famous zeppoles.
This year, many of the old-timers will look back to 1984, when late President Ronald Reagan visited the St. Ann’s Festival.
“I heard about your zeppoles,” Reagan said. “And so, here I am in Hoboken.”
Believe it or not, more than 100,000 people take part in the feast each year. The festival, a tradition for 94 years, has been named one of the American Bus Association’s top 100 events in North America. The celebration took shape so the parishioners of St. Ann’s – immigrants from the Southern Italian town of Monte San Giacomo – could honor their patron saint and keep their cultural traditions alive.
The parish of St. Ann’s marks the occasion with novena Masses, in English and Italian, over nine days. (For the schedule, call the church at the number below.) And from Thursday, July 22, through Monday, July 26, the street festival will light up the night around Seventh and Jefferson streets.
The St. Ann’s Festival offers international food, live music, rides for the kids, and a beer garden.
Hoboken native Mariah DeBenedetto has taken part in the festival since she was a baby.
“We would just run wild and eat as much as we possibly could,” she says.
DeBenedetto has also served as a volunteer bartender at the festival’s lively beer garden.
“People are standing 10 deep at the bar,” she says.
And the bartenders don’t keep the tips – it all goes to St. Ann’s, DeBenedetto says.
“They were trying to tip [us],” she says, “so we said, ‘Tip St. Ann.’ In one night, we raised $2,000 just in tips.”
On Stage
Live entertainment begins each night at about 8 p.m.
Thursday, July 22
Latino Night with Danza Fiesta and José Alberto
Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in Puerto Rico, salsa singer Alberto (a.k.a. El Canario) performed with Celia Cruz. Also appearing: the colorfully costumed Puerto Rican dance troupe Danza Fiesta.
Friday, July 23
Johnny Maestro and the Brooklyn Bridge
Formed in the 1960s, these old-school rock ‘n’ rollers had hits with “The Worst that Could Happen” and “You’ll Never Walk Alone.” They’ve appeared on TV shows including Ed Sullivan’s and Merv Griffin’s, and sold out venues including Manhattan’s Bottom Line, Madison Square Garden, and Radio City Music Hall.
Saturday, July 24
Spyro Gyra
Among the originators of the smooth jazz genre, Spyro Gyra has been making music since the 1970s. Their sound is a blend of jazz, R & B, and Caribbean music. Among their biggest hits is “Morning Dance.”
Sunday, July 25
Dean Karahalis and the Concert Pops Orchestra
The professional musicians in this orchestra also play for Broadway shows, at Radio City Music Hall, and the Metropolitan Opera. Karahalis is a high-energy conductor who gets the crowd involved as the orchestra plays show tunes and other American favorites.
Monday, July 26
Cristina Fontanelli with the Jordan Thomas Orchestra
Fontanelli, a former Hoboken resident, headlines the festival this year. A classically trained opera singer, she’s also a “crossover” performer, singing show tunes and standards. Accompanied by the 10-piece orchestra, Fontanelli – who has toured internationally and performed at the White House, at Lincoln Center, and with the Boston Pops – is sure to sing many Italian favorites.
Taking it to the Streets
St. Ann’s Italian Festival
When: Thursday, July 22 – Sunday, July 25: 6 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Monday, July 26: 10 a.m. – Midnight
Where: Seventh and Jefferson streets, Hoboken
For more info: Call (201) 659-1416
Holy zeppoles!
That’s a lot of dough …
Each year at the festival, the women of the St. Ann’s Guild turn out thousands of their famous zeppoles. Here’s what goes into the mix:
Pounds of flour: 5,000
Pounds of powdered sugar: 1,500
Gallons of oil: 300
Number of volunteers each night: 70
Volunteers work in shifts – five women to a shift – mixing the dough in the kitchen, located in the basement of St. Ann’s Church. Boys run the dough from the kitchen to the booth. In addition to the mixers, 40 to 50 women volunteer each evening at the booth, working over the fryers and selling zeppoles to the hundreds of festival-goers who line up for them each night.
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