Need something to look forward to now that Labor Day's over?
The 2009 Feast of the Madonna Dei Martiri kicks off tomorrow, Thursday, Sept. 10 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 13.
The annual Hoboken Italian festival, now in its 83rd year, is an end-of-summer tradition that draws over 60,000 people to the Hoboken waterfront for four days of Italian food and entertainment.
History of the feast:
The origin of the celebration, held in honor of the Madonna dei Martiri, dates back over 600 years to the town of Molfetta, an Italian port city on the Adriatic coast. Madonna dei Martiri is the patron saint of Molfetta, which was a returning port city for crusaders in the Holy Wars of the 1300s. Many hospitals were built in the town, where thousands of crusaders died. Hence the name, Madonna "of the martyrs."
To bless their local industry, fishermen and sailors of Molfetta would carry the Madonna through the streets of town. Later generations would later emigrate from Molfetta and the surrounding region to Hoboken, where the centuries-old tradition continues.
At 2 p.m. on Feast Day, Saturday, Sept. 12, the highlight of the festival is the procession of the 800-pound Madonna through the streets of Hoboken. Parishioners of St. Francis Church will place the Madonna on a ferry, not in the Adriatic Sea, but in the Hudson River, at Lackawanna Plaza. The boat will be sent out into New York Harbor, as part of the Blessing of the Fleet.
"Molfetta, Italy shares a lot of characteristics with Hoboken, right on the seaport with a shipping past," said Dan Altilio, 47, a member of the 100-year old Society of the Madonna dei Martiri. "We wind the saint through the streets of Hoboken and it's a very emotional time -- look how beautiful this is, this tradition. Families have been doing this generation upon generation."
"When the Madonna comes out, you think, 'My uncle used to carry this back in the 1940s.' It becomes a very personal, but public moment," he continued.
The Blessing of the Fleet will be followed by fireworks off Pier A on Saturday night.
Also at the festival:
There will be a pizza-eating contest on Thursday night and on Saturday, a cannoli-eating contest, with cannoli provided by Carlo's Bakery, of the hit show "Cake Boss."
On the final day of the festival, Sunday, Sept. 13, watch the Hoboken Police Department take on Hoboken firefighters in a grape-stomp contest. Later that night, Lee Logan & The Legendary Drifters will sing The Drifters original hits such as "Under The Boardwalk" and "This Magic Moment."
Location and times:
The Feast of the Madonna dei Martiri will be held in Sinatra Park, at 500 Sinatra Drive. The Festival will be open from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 12:00 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.
Here's the entire schedule of this year's festival:
Thursday, Sept. 10
5:00 -- 7:00: Heroes of the State (H.O.T.S.) -- classic rock cover band
7:00 -- 10:00: The Benjamins
8:30: Annual pizza-eating contest
Friday, Sept. 11
5:00 -- 7:00: Monte's Pythons -- cover band, back by popular demand
7:00 - 11:00: Mirage, one of New Jersey's most popular Italian-American wedding bands.
Saturday, Sept. 12
12:30 -- 1:30: Johnny Maggio sings Sinatra, Bennett, Martin
1:30 -- 2:30: R3 Bros., the area's newest Italian-American sensation
2:30 -- 3:30: Aaron Caruso -- Unique show with songs from Sergio Franchi, Andrea Bocelli, Jerry Vale, and a special tribute to Mario Lanza
3:30 -- 4:30: R3 Bros
4:30 -- 5:30: Aaron Caruso
5:30 -- 6:30: R3 Bros.
7:00 -- 11:00: Oro Puro, "Sensational" Italian show band
8:30: Annual cannoli-eating contest
9:00: Fireworks Extravaganza
Sunday, Sept. 13
12:30 -- 3:30: Jersey Kidz, New Jersey's hottest young rock/power pop band
3:30 -- 4:30: Hannah Montana as portrayed by Courtney Searle
4:30 -- 5:30: Annual grape-stomp contest: Hoboken Police Dept. vs. Hoboken Fire Dept.
5:30 -- 6:30: Krystal, Hoboken's own rock band
6:30 -- 7:30: The Bronx Wanderers -- Tribute to Dion, Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons, Johnny Maestro & The Brooklyn Bridge and more
8:00 -- 9:00: Lee Logan & The Legendary Drifters, singing The Drifters original hits "There Goes My Baby," "Under The Boardwalk," "This Magic Moment," and more
9:00 -- 10:00: The Bronx Wanderers
10:00: Grand 50/50 Raffle Drawing