If you really want to know the whole story, it's all laid out on their website but reading a bunch…read moreof bullet points on a screen about some big neighborhood spectacle is about the most depressing thing you can do, so I'll explain. ​Basically, the Giglio Feast is a historic 12-day Italian-American festival that happens every July at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's been going on since 1887 when immigrants brought it over from Nola, Italy, to honor Saint Paulinus commemorating when he returned from captivity after sacrificing himself for his people and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. That part actually sounds pretty decent, if you want to know the truth, but the way spectators in attendance make a huge circus out of it just drives me crazy. Then participants are amazing. ​The main event is this thing called the "Dancing of the Giglio," where they take a giant 70-foot tower made of wood and steel weighing four whole tons and covered in lilies, angels, and religious figures and hoist it up. They've got a live brass band and a singer literally sitting right on top of the timber frame while roughly 120 guys lift, spin, and "dance" this enormous four-ton thing down North 8th Street on their bare shoulders. ​Guys in matching outfits blowing saxophones and yelling on the platform, and crowds of people crammed together in the street taking photos and cheering. There's even a statue of a saint perched at the very top against the blue sky, looking down at all these phonies sweating and carrying on in the heat. It's supposed to be this grand, sacred tradition, but looking at a hundred guys breaking their backs to carry a four-ton tower with a band riding on it just makes you feel sort of tired and thirsty. It really does.

This was my second or third excursion here. It's been years since I've gone but it's probably a…read moremediocre fair, which is about ten blocks long, at best. A few basic rides and food being sold but I think it's relatively boring and just blah overall. If you're not a regular, live nearby or just in the area, for another reason, it's surely not worth venturing over here, in my opinion.

Love the Feast of Santa Rosalia. I try to go whenever it's on. sausage Sandwiches are blazing from…read morethe Lucy Carts!

The festival was okay but I felt like there was a lot of garbage and dirty water in many areas. I…read morethink there were less vendors than last year. The food I tried were pretty good like the meat skewers, egg waffle, corn dog and gelato. The music was nice. My toddler danced on the sidewalk.

I attended this huge street fair this year in 2026 and had a great time. The weather was…read moreexceptionally hot but we still walked up and down the fair from start to finish. It was very crowded but we were able to walk around and check out the local vendors. They had some local entertainment for the children and adults. There was every type of food you can imagine. We opted for a Mexican restaurant (Fatty Daddy) so we could sit down and eat in the AC, lol. I bought some little "Brooklyn" souvenirs and some sweets. I actually enjoyed this fair better than "Atlantic Antic" because it wasn't overly crowded. Definitely something I would check out again.

I typically hate NYC street fairs, but the Fifth Avenue lived up to its name!…read more Unlike some other fairs, where it's all the same sausage and peppers on every block, the Fifth Ave Fair puts a big emphasis on local businesses, with most of the food options coming from those storefronts! There was also a live band, lots of random stuff to buy (mostly jewelry and clothes). I set up station by the Letter of Marque Theater space and watched/participated in some awesome soundpainting and improv performances! Go support them! Also devoured a ton of pizza, and had more than a few beers from Nunu Chocolates. I love drinking in public! The fair also extended pretty far down! From almost Flatbush all the way down to the numbered streets!

Last year everyone was so friendly and wonderful. I enjoyed the food the area and the items vendedread more

I was there about 10 years ago , I had a great time . The only thing was I drove around for parking…read more.

I was the lucky recipient to win a pair of music badges through yelp Brooklyn! I was extremely…read moreexcited as I've attended the free events of the festival in the past, but never had access to all the venues and events that this year's festival had lined up. Since this is a four day music festival I took advantage of all events occurring on each day/evening including the Bedford avenue block party (which was freel), the collabs between upcoming shows like TNT's Claws, Tidal, Wild honey Pie's Beehive event as well as the main stage with performers during the weekend. There were tons of indie bands performing throughout Bushwick, Williamsburg and Greenpoint which made traveling to each venue pretty easy. The headlining concerts at McCarren Park was surprisingly spacious, with different variety of food trucks, vendors promoting new or unknown Apps, while giving away free swag to entice new member with a month's or a few months of free membership; as well as cityMD providing concert goers with first aid needs and announcing a contest for a pair of panorama tickets (I did not win lol). My PIC and I had a wonderful time attending all the different venues, and listening to all the great artists who for the first time, I got a chance to hear up-close and personal. Look forward to next years festival!

I purchased a music badge for Northside Festival when it was just announced. For $75 (plus fees)…read moreyou have access to every indie show in the area plus the headliners each night. This year: The Dirty Projectors and Miguel, so I couldn't be more excited. The festival is four days long with a block party on the weekend. In addition to the acts, the badge gets you access to parties with other badgeholders: both lovers of music and tech. It makes for an interesting crowd, some people only have tech badges while other have music and some have both. It offers a great exchange of ideas and better yet libations. There is also a cute little block party running down Bedford Ave with performances and vendors cheerfully welcoming summer. As for the headlining concert, that takes place is McCarren Park in a parking lot by the tennis courts. It's a great location. Large enough to be comfortable, but small enough to have great acoustics and to be able to see the performer from any place there.

Did you know the story of San Gennaro originated in Naples, Italy?…read more Starting in the late 1880s many Neopolitan Italian immigrants settled in lower Manhattan, on Mulberry Street, the heart of Little Italy. By the year 1926, they decided to celebrate their heritage in honor of their favorite Saint. 2025 marks the 99th year of celebration of San Gennaro who famously protects Neopolitans from fire, earthquakes, droughts, plagues and the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. San Gennaro is a truly powerful champion for the people. However, this eleven day festival is all about the food and fun. So, Let's eat! Mangia! **Runs September 11th through 21st ** **It's Free! - But do bring plenty of CA$H money for food** * ** Some say it's claustrophobic and an overpriced tourist trap** ***Weekdays are bit less crowded *** You're welcome Grazie mille!! XO

If you're lucky enough to be reading this on a slow Friday at work, your next destination should be…read moreReddit, where you can enjoy "it's fake Disneyland for tourists" comments followed by counterattacks about those smug and simplistic critiques. I don't love it but I usually try to go at least twice. I liked the hot sausage at Johnny Fasullo's with a hot pepper on top. If you're into carbs try a potato croquette and rice ball combo at Caffe Napoli. I wasn't as impressed with the Ferrara cannoli this year but maybe I'm wrong. If possible, go on a weekday, but the crowds will always be abundant.

I haven't been to Atlantic Antic in years. This is a huge street festival with tons of vendors…read moreselling clothes, jewelry, food you name it and was probably at this festival. It was sooo crowded and hard to see every vendor. The weather was beautiful and it was so happy I wore comfortable shoes. They had a few activities for the kids and some street performances. You definitely need patience and comfortable clothes and shoes to maneuver the crowds.

I've never seen this many jerk chicken vendors in one place, so far enjoyed a combo from Four the…read moreHard Way. I was drawn there by the smokiness. I also liked the optional gravy for the rice; I chose goat curry. The Bake and Shark from Heather's was a dazzling melange of flavors and textures. There's hot sauce, but pineapple too. Since I didn't get to Minnesota for the state fair grilled peach I was glad to see Songbird Fruit had one here. I enjoyed shows from DJ Tyler B & Bruff Da Crowdpleaser and Nice Brass.

Ferragosto is one of the most celebrated holidays in Italy. It goes back to the Roman Empire in 18…read moreBC when Emperor Augustus declared the whole month of August, named after himself, would be a month long food & wine festival Our favorite NYC festival. The streets are closed, there are many performers & restaurants are preparing specialties outdoors. Music is wonderful, food, desserts & drinks. An afternoon of fun! In previous years, they were more street performers, politicians and vendors. This year there wasn't wine tasting, pigs on spits, lottery, politicians...

It may have crowds, but Ferragosto is THE NYC Italian festival to go to. Why? It's simply that this…read morefestival, unlike San Gennaro, still has heart. You feel like family there. There's no Times Square characters busking for money, instead, the streets are lined with restaurant extensions, roasting pigs, wine samples, and the crooning sounds of wonderful opera and folk Italian singers. It feels like how I grew up. Loud, but not obnoxious, crowded but not suffocating, and most importantly, authentic. The food is to die for and many of the local business do samples. You'll drool over Teitel's prosciutto, what La Cantina has to offer in their wine selection,and gelato will also be passed around the street. It may be tough to find parking, but just go!

I went to this event a few years ago and had a great time. I decided to go back again this year…read moreand had a good time. I am really happy to share some pros and cons related to this event. Some pros are; the event is for charity, environmentally caring, there is a good vibe there, great view by the water, not too crowded, and you sometimes see discounted tickets. Some cons are; some samples are small, some places run out of food, limited samples (you buy ticket books) long lines, overall value. Will I go back next year? Depends on what else is happening that weekend.

Taste of Williamburg Greenpoint is a culinary benefit to build the Northside Town Hall. It was also…read morethe latest location for date day and I had so much fun. I found out about the event through Yelp (yay!) and bought tickets for 8 tastings and 4 beverages. The space was chock full of restaurants selling their best, sponsors hawking their products, and hungry hungry Brooklynites. I arrived around 2 pm and stayed just until it started raining. Lucky for me, I was able to use all my coupons in time! Staff were fantastic overall, with big smiles and enthusiastic attitudes. Now, to the eats: Brooklyn Cupcake - fantastic generous ladies who are passing out the mini chocolate, french toast, red velvet, and vanilla cupcakes like they're going out of style. Brooklyn Floss - root beer cotton candy, a lovely lady spinning the sweets, and lots of happy people in the "smile spot" as they are mystified by their growing cloud of sugar. The Brooklyn Star - winner of the longest line, The Brooklyn Star passed out cheddar cheese waffles with fried chicken, cabbage slaw, and mashed potatoes. Tasty, creative, and pretty. Dirck the Norseman passed out beef brisket and pulled pork with soft buns. Oh so meaty, rich goodness, with a good portion size. Pies and Thighs offered their fried chicken on a biscuit with hot sauce and sweet creamy mayo, which while tiny, is still rich enough to clog your arteries. Maison Premiere was giving out cocktails and oysters on the half shell for a ticket - a nice clean and crisp alternative to the nearby bar fare. Phin & Phebes had six ice cream flavors to sample - or you could get three for a ticket! The ginger cookie and Vietnamese coffee were incredible. Rosamunde Sausage Grill had the second longest line. The Andouille was really solid and they had really fun condiments like wasabi and spicy mayos and cheese sauces Teddy's Bar and Grille had AMAZING beignets. Two Door Tavern had salsa rubbed fried chicken wings - creative, well executed, and delish. Yelp offered a fun gift basket and the usual fun knick knacks- I hope I win! There are probably more that I can't remember. BUT it was such a fun day with very cool people. I reserve a star however - my ticket came with four drink tickets. I can't drink alcohol. So I got lots and lots of free sodas, but definitely not enough to justify the cost of the tickets. I am mollified in that my purchase has made the dream of building the town hall closer, buuuuut may buy one off tickets next year for the food and not drinks.

As a freelance music journalist/photographer, I have had the honor of covering this festival for…read moreseveral years. It's one of the best put together and organized festivals I've ever been a part of. That says a lot when it's being held in a large population area (Commodore Barry Park in Brooklyn). The sound is top-quality, the vendors, bathrooms, workers, and volunteers have it together. Tons of food trucks. With this came the pleasure of bucketlist things like watching Grace Jones perform from the stage (stage right) with her mother, brother , and her mother's best friend and then hanging out with them in her tent afterwards. In addition, I was able to hang with my friends in Fishbone, Ice-T & Coco, QuestLove, Bad Brains, Suicidal Tendencies, Body Count, and many, many more. The park is large with spacious ground, enough to accommodate the thousands of folks in attendance at any given time. Truly an amazingly inclusive event to be asked to be a part of.

Compared to other festivals I've been to, AP is by far one of the most organized and spacious ones…read moreout the bunch. I went in 2018 (just the Saturday show) and it was a really decent time. The grounds were clean, there was some bench seating and I wasn't suffocating from the clouds of marijuana in the air. All I do is go to festivals in the summer so I'd urge anyone who hasn't been to AP in NY to check it out. P.S: Don't get the VIP band. It's a waste of money!