Thursday, August 11, 2016

CELEBRATE: THE GIGLIO FESTIVAL 2016

                East Harlem Giglio Festival circa 1960 courtesy the Giglio Society

Sunday, August 14th, East Harlem Giglio Festival 2016, lifts start after 1:30PM by East 114th and Pleasant.  The Giglio Festival of East Harlem celebrates a beloved tradition within what used to be the largest Italian neighborhood in the states.  The weekend-long festival culminates with an afternoon fete over at Pleasant Avenue from East 114th to East 116th Street with a crowd of men lifting a massive religious tower that was constructed in the previous days.  Each tower is designed differently every year and this feet of strength was started in Italy centuries ago to honor a town's patron saint.  A population of 100,000 Italians once lived in East Harlem for decades before the demographics changed to El Barrio in the latter half of the 20th century.  A group of relatives who have history uptown return to the old neighborhood every year to celebrate the cultural past of East Harlem which used to be called uptown's Little Italy up until the 1960s.

This family-friendly event also features food and a block party before the main lifting ceremony. Check out the full list of activities on the official website along with contact information: LINK

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