New Jersey Italian Festivals - Schedules and Information

Discover when and where the top Italian Festivals in New Jersey are.

This page has been updated to include the festivals that have confirmed their schedule for 2012. This page is continually updated and festivals will be added as soon as we learn that they have finalized their dates and arrangements.

 

The Italian Feasts typically run for three to four days around a summer weekend and in addition to promoting the Italian culture, they raise money to support many worthwhile charitable causes.

Italian festivals or feasts are usually organized by either a Catholic church with a large Catholic following or an Italian community service organization with an interest in promoting their culture and providing knowledge and stories for future generations to benefit from.

2012 NJ Italian Festivals

June 2012

North Wildwood Italian-American Festival
June 22-24, 2012
Olde New Jersey Avenue
North Wildwood, NJ
609-729-4533phil54@comcast.net
Annual celebration of Italian-American heritage held in North Wildwood. This three-day event draws over 75,000 people and features continuous live Doo-Wop entertainment, Italian Craft & Food vendors, children's activities and many other exciting events. Fri: 5 PM to 11 PM
Sat: Noon to 11 PM
Sun: 11 AM to 6 PM.

July 2012

The 137th Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
July 11- 16, 2012
St. Joseph's Church
Hammonton, NJ
609-561-4818
Sponsors of the Longest Running Italian Festival in the United States and a Hammonton, NJ Tradition Since 1875!
A week long festival of live entertainment, marching bands, Italian songs, concert, and food stands. With 46 of this town's residents of Italian ancestry, it's bound to have a strong Italian history and presence. Fireworks will begin on July 16 at 10pm

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Budd Lake Italian-American Festival & Car Show
Sunday, July 1, 2012 (Rain or Shine) 10 AM – 6 PM
Vasa Park
1 Wolfe Road
Budd Lake, NJ
For information call Maria Patamia at 973-296-7638 or e-mail stmpromosllc@yahoo.com
This family event will celebrate Italian heritage event with entertainment including a bocce ball tournament, stilt-walker, face painting, a petting zoo, pony rides, inflatable rides and slides, ethnic foods, "Heritage Trees", crafters, vendors, and a Foreign and Classic Car Show. Bring your lawn chairs and blankets. Admission to the Festival includes all activities and Car Show: $ 10 Adults, $ 6 Students/Seniors, Children under 5 FREE.
There will be an After-Party from 7-9pm which includes a buffet dinner and Comedy Show with "Uncle Floyd" Cost : $ 30 per person.

August 2012

La Festa Itialiana
Wednesday, August 15 to Sunday, August 19, 2012
344 Sixth Street
Jersey City, NJ
201-795-0120
La Festa Italiana celebrates Italian heritage, spirituality and is an evening of music, dance and authentic Italian foods. It's fun filled with games, an hourly 50/50, and terminates with the Super 50/50 raffle drawing. This year's festival will honor the Veneration of Our Lady of the Assumption and Saint Rocco.

September 2012

Annual Mercer County Italian American Festival
September 28, 29, 30, 2012, 12 noon to 10pm
Mercer County Park
Old Trenton Road
West Windsor, NJ
609-631-7544
Italian cultural festival which includes a Food Piazza featuring regional Italian restaurants; an Italian Market with Italian specialty products; a Heritage Pavilion with art, memorabilia, and historical artifacts; a Cultural Theater with cooking demonstrations and authors; entertainment on two stages including national recording acts; amusement rides; bocce; children's entertainment; and fireworks. Picture a picnic with 100,000 of your closest friends sharing food, laughter, music and a good time and you will capture the essence of the Mercer County Italian American Festival. Named one of the Mid-Atlantic region’s top events by aaaworld.com. Fireworks Spectacular Display, Saturday at 10:00 PM, immediately following the headliner performance.

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An Olde Time Italian Festival
Septenber 28, 29, 2012
Friday: 5 p.m. - midnight. Saturday: noon to midnight.
Fox Park at Ocean Avenue
between Burk and Montgomery Avenues
Wildwood
609-374-0016
An 'Old World' family festival featuring crafts, games, rides, great Italian food and continuous FREE live entertainment.

October 2012

Ocean County Columbus Day Parade & Italian Street Festival
October 5, 6, 7, 2012
Grant Avenue from Bay Blvd. to Boardwalk
Seaside Heights, N.J
732-477-6507
Celebrating the Annual Columbus Day Parade and Italian Heritage Festival. A fun filled weekend of food, friends, and Italian Culture. The Street Festival hours are:
Friday, October 5th at 5 pm - 10pm
Saturday, October 6th, 10 am - 10 pm
Sunday, Oct 7th 10 am to 8 pm.
The Parade will be held on Sunday, October 7th at 1 pm, Boulevard from J Street to Sampson Avenue.

 

 

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Spring Lake Columbus Day Italian Festival
Saturday, October 6, 2012, (rain dateOctober 7)
noon till 5:00
Spring Lake Business District (Third Avenue)
732-449-0577
Italian Specialties Food Court on Morris, Music throughout the downtown. Best Meatball Contest - Pizza Eating Contest - Bocce Ball Cooking demonstrations on Jersey - Cookbook on sale! Juried Art Walk throughout the business district.

Last Year's 2011 NJ Italian Festivals

June 2011

The St. Anthony of Padua Society of Verona
Saturday June 11, 2011
32 Hamilton Road
Verona, New Jersey
This is a procession that will celebrate their Patronal Feast. The Procession begins at 3pm at The Statue of St. Anthony and a first class relic of the bone of St. Anthony will be brought in Procession through the streets. The statue and relic will be escorted by the faithful and The Red Mike Italian Festival Band. For more information please call Peter DiPetta at 973-239-6076

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Our Lady of Mount Carmel Annual Feast - Montclair, NJ
July 15, 16 & 17, 2011
Pine Street
Montclair, NJ
973-981-8831 or 973-744-1074
This event will feature over 30 food vendors offering sausage & peppers and cheesesteak sandwiches, zeppole, fried seafood, oven brick pizza and cappucino and desserts, and a wine and beer garden along with a variety of kids and adult rides and games, and on Saturday night Shirley Alston formerly with the Shirelles will perform: "Will you still love me tomorrow?" and "Soldier Boy". "Uncle" Floyd Vivino will make the crowd laugh on Sunday night. Highlighting the religious significance of the Feast will be the Procession of the statue of Our Lady at 5 PM Sunday thru the streets of Montclair escorted by the Tony Neglia Band and the Faithful. One winner 50/50 cash prize awaits a lucky winner on Sunday night.

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Italian-American Festival
July 13 - 16, 2011
6pm -11pm
Freehold Raceway
Rt 9 & Rt 33
Freehold NJ
Cheryl Scuorzo (732) 536-5832
Great Food, Entertainment, Cooking Demo, Rides, Games, Car Show, crafters, and the fireworks finale
Procession to honor Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Car show on Sunday. Salvatore Chiarelli Spinto/Dramatic Tenor will be performing on Saturday Night, July 16th, 8:30 - 9:30 P.M.
Procession sponsorships available.

 

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St. Ann's Festival
July 21 -26, 2011
On the streets around
St. Ann Church
704 Jefferson Street
Hoboken, NJ
201-659-1114
Enjoy Italian food like St Ann's famous zeppole, music, rides, crafts, raffles, and games. Nightly entertainment on 2 stages. Featuring: Opera performer Cristina Fontanelli on Thursday night, Ray Rodriguez y Swing Sabroso on Latin Night Friday; Ryan Pelton Elvis impersonator on Saturday night; Carol Douglas "D and the Trammps on Disco Night Sunday; The Nerds on Monday night; and The Bronx Wanderers on Tueday night. Saturday, the feast day, the festival will open at 10 a.m. with a Mass, and then a 600-pound statue of St. Ann will be carried through the streets of Hoboken.

August 2011

The Feast of St. Donato
August 6, 7, 2011
4-10 PM on Sat. and 12-8 PM on Sunday
Church lot of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
94 Pine St.
Montclair, NJ
contact President of Society: Joe Santoro at 917-459-1123 or Vice-President, There will be a variety of feast foods and beverages sold including sausage & peppers, cheesesteaks, zeppole, Italian Hot dogs, kabobs and desserts, and a wine and beer garden. The event will be highlighted by the statue of St. Donato's triumphant return to Montclair in a procession accompanied by a marching band, the society, and the devout at noon on Sunday.

Please note; The Feast of St. Donato is not to be confused with other feasts held in Montclair during the summer of 2011.

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The Italian American Association of the Township of Ocean 34th annual Italian Festival
August 10- 14, 2011
Joe Palaia Park
corner of Deal and Whalepond Road
Ocean Township, NJ
(732) 531-5768
info@iaato.com
This four day Italian Festival annually attracts over 80,000 people with a taste for our traditional foods and wholesome family fun. Celebrating Italian heritage and culture! * * FREE ADMISSION * *
There's something for everyone! From sampling the great taste of Italy's delicious food, rides, games, music, and fireworks display, this year's festival promises 5 fun filled days of entertainment for the entire family.

 

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La Festa Italiana in honor of Our Lady of Mount Virgin
Aug. 11 from 6 to 11 p.m., Aug. 12 from 6 to 11 p.m., Aug. 13, 2011 from 4 to 11 p.m. and Aug. 14 from 2 to 10 p.m.
Mt. Virgin Church
188 Mac Arthur Avenue
Garfield, NJ
Italian Feast Band, live music, homemade cakes, Italian pastries, games, raffles, rides, nightly DJ and many more fun activities for families and kids.

 

 

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St. Sebastian's Italian Feast
Aug. 25 - Aug. 28, 2011
Kaveny Field
Grove and Walnut Streets
Montclair, NJ
973-943-0733
www.saintsebastiansociety.com
Brought to this country in 1926 from Cerami, Sicily, the Feast of St. Sebastian has survived and flourished in the township of Montclair, N.J. The St. Sebastian Society, host of the event is affiliated with nearby Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Roman Catholic Church. The 4 day event features a wide variety of fine Italian foods such as zeppole, sausage and pepper and cheese steak sandwiches, oven brick pizza and all the Feast favorites. Plenty of rides for the kids and adults as well as games, novelties, nightly entertainment and a one winner 50/50. The big highlight is the Procession of the statue of St. Sebastian, accompanied by marching bands and the devout and the curious.

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2nd Annual - GIGLIO NJ FEAST
August 25 - 28, 2011
Sacred Heart Parish Church and Sacred Heart Parish and School
531 Washington Avenue
South Amboy, NJ 08879-1269
(732) 721-0040 - Parish Offices
The only Giglio Feast in New Jersey, featuring fun, food, live music and the historical Nola dancing of the GIGLIO Tower Procession Carried by Community Members.

September 2011

The Feast of St. Joseph
September 2, 3, 4, 5, 2011
40 Spring Street
Lodi, NJ
201-615-8924
antoninopollaro@verizon.net
Over 25,000 people attend this annual festival celebrating Italian culture with food, rides, games, entertainment and a super 50/50 raffle. There will be Rides and Games for all ages, traditional Italian Festival Food, Nightly Entertainment, and much more. To close the Feast on Monday at 10PM will be the Super 50/50 drawing. Hours: Friday 6-10:30pm, Saturday. & Sunday 4-10:30pm and Monday 2-10pm.

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37th Annual St. Bartholomew/UNICO Italian Festival
September 2 - 5, 2011
4:30 PM to 10:30 PM each day.
2032 Westfield Ave
Scotch Plains, NJ
908-322-5192
The festival honors San Nicola di Bari, the patron saint of the town of Montazzoli, Italy. This family feast features nightly live music, rides, games, and Italian food including favorites like pizza, pasta, zeppoles, clams, mussels, and calzones. A procession will be held following the 5 p.m. Saturday Mass which is celebrated in Italian. This years entertainment includes: Friday Night - Rewind; Saturday Night - RB Express; Sunday Night - The Broadcasters; and Monday Night - The VooDudes

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The Hoboken Italian Festival
September 8-11, 2011
Sinatra Park, on the historic waterfront of Hoboken, NJ
Hoboken Italian Festival
Hoboken, NJ
201-216-0252
The Hoboken Italian Festival, the premier Italian-American festival in New Jersey is over 80 years old, and is derived from a festival in Italy that is over 600 years old. The highlight of the feast, aside from the staggering variety of food and entertainment, is the day long procession through the streets of Hoboken on Saturday, Sept. 10th. The procession runs through the streets of Hoboken. including a pain staking reenactment of the "Blessing of the Fleet" in the Hudson River, The 4 day event has it's huge finale with a huge fireworks extravaganza over the park at 9:00 pm, Saturday

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Feast of San Genaro
Sunday, September 18, 2011; 12PM – 7 PM
Hall of Records
1 East Main Street
Freehold, NJ
Cheryl Scuorzo (732) 536-5832
John Catanacci (516) 244-8492
This is a fun family event with rides, games, crafters, food, Italian novelties, entertainment and more! The feast features entertainment by DJ Mello and DJ Sal, a performance by "Funktion" Dance Studio, Sal Chiarelli (Italian tenor), a dance performance by Jenna Schottlander and Anthony, Danny Vecchiano and his Giglio Band, a Pizza eating contest, and Neopolitan songs performed by Angelo Maglione of Angelo's Restaurant. There will be a 12:30 PM mass at St. Rose of Lima.

October 2011

4th Annual Sea Isle City Italian-American Festival and 22nd Annual Columbus Day Parade
Saturday, October 8, 2011
10:00 am until dusk
609-263-4461 x 230 or email iafestival@hotmail.com
The Parade starts at 2:00 pm in front of the Italian-American Club and ventures down Landis Avenue and ends at KIX-McNutley's, 63rd Street where the Italian Festival will be happening.
The festival grows larger every year with 40 food, craft and various merchant vendors that attended last year.

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Feast of Saint Gerard
Thursday, October 13 to Sunday, October 16th, 2011
The National Shrine of St Gerard
St Lucy's Church
118 7th Avenue
Newark, NJ
973-803-4300
stlucyscommunications@gmail.com
This is a multi cultural, family event with emphasis on our Italian American Christian Heritage. There is food, entertain, and a variety of religious activities.

 

 

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Knights of Columbus Italian Festival
October 15, 2011, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Rain Date: October 22, 2011
Historic Smithville
Village Greene
Smithville, NJ
Contact: Robert Luke (609) 652-7990
Come and enjoy a taste of Italy. The event features delicious Italian Food and Deserts, Wine Tasting and Beer, Italian music provided by Jim Craine and his AC Band, Folk dancing, Children's activities, Free Bocce Ball (must register in advance), Italian and Classic cars, a vendor market with Hand crafted items and imported Italian specialties, and a 50/50 every 2 hours.
Open to the public. Admission and parking are free. Visit our Web Site: www.kofcitalianfest.org

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The Italian Sandwich - What is the most popular Italian sandwich in New Jersey called? Is it the Hoagie, Hero, or Sub?

 

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