San Gennaro Festival Marks Century Milestone On Mulberry Street

The Feast of San Gennaro kicked off its centennial celebration Thursday in New York City's Little Italy, marking a century since the event began as a single-day block party on September 17. The festival runs through September 27 across eleven blocks along Mulberry Street and features over three hundred vendors offering traditional Italian-American foods such as pizza, pasta, cannoli, gelato, sausage peppers, and deep-fried treats including PB&J Uncrustables. In addition to food stalls, the event includes live music performances, opera nights, carnival rides like a creaking Ferris wheel, games, lights, and an artist showcase featuring performers from Naples. A religious procession made its way through the crowded streets on opening night alongside holy water blessings distributed by vendors including Lucy the Sausage Queen, who clarified her central location near pepper stalls despite several other booths bearing similar names. The festivities are open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., with extended hours until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, attracting thousands of attendees eager to sample local cuisine while honoring San Gennaro, the patron saint who died as a martyr in 305 AD.