If you want to see Boston’s North End at its loudest, most colorful, and most delicious, plan your trip around St. Anthony’s Feast Boston. Held every year on the last weekend of August, this Italian festival has been running since 1919 and is now the largest Italian religious festival in New England. It’s part tradition, part street party, and completely unforgettable.
Here’s everything you need to know before you go—what to expect, what to eat, and how to survive the crowds.
St. Anthony’s Feast is an annual celebration honoring Saint Anthony of Padua, hosted by Boston’s Italian-American community. What started as a neighborhood religious procession has grown into a four-day festival that takes over the entire North End.
Think:
Confetti parades down Hanover Street
Live music and performances on outdoor stages
Endless rows of food stalls serving Italian street food
Decorative lights strung across every corner
Crowds of people shoulder to shoulder, eating, laughing, and celebrating
It runs Thursday through Sunday, ending in a massive Sunday procession where the statue of Saint Anthony is carried through the streets. It’s also one of the highlights in my Unforgettable Boston Festivals roundup.
The festival always takes place the last weekend in August. If you’re visiting Boston during this time, it’s worth experiencing. But be warned—if you were hoping for a quiet North End pasta dinner, this is not the weekend. Restaurants are slammed, streets are packed, and the vibe is more block party than cozy trattoria.
My advice:
For the full festival energy, go Saturday night.
For slightly fewer crowds, try Thursday or Friday evening.
For the procession, be there on Sunday.
Honestly, this is what you came for. The food stalls line the streets and the hardest part is deciding where to start. Expect everything from traditional Italian classics to carnival-style eats.
Must-tries include:
Sausage and peppers sandwiches – smoky, spicy, and piled high on fresh rolls.
Arancini (rice balls) – crispy on the outside, cheesy on the inside.
Zeppole – Italian fried dough covered in powdered sugar. Messy but worth it.
Cannoli – yes, the famous Boston cannoli debate (Mike’s vs. Modern vs. Bova’s) is still in play, even during the feast.
Pizza by the slice – some vendors sell it street-side, but if you can, pop into Regina’s or Ernesto’s for the real deal.
Limoncello spritz or Italian sodas – to cool off in the summer heat.
Pro tip: Go hungry and share everything so you can try more.
Besides eating (which let’s be honest, is 80% of the festival), there’s plenty of entertainment:
Live music and bands on outdoor stages bring a nonstop party vibe.
The procession on Sunday is the most traditional part—locals pin dollar bills to the statue of St. Anthony as it makes its way through the streets.
Vendors and stands sell everything from Italian flags to t-shirts to religious icons. It’s part food crawl, part shopping spree.
Arrive early. Streets get packed by evening.
Bring cash. Many vendors don’t accept cards.
Expect crowds. This isn’t the night for a quiet romantic stroll—it’s shoulder-to-shoulder energy.
Wear comfortable shoes. You’ll be walking and standing a lot.
Plan your dinner elsewhere if you want a sit-down meal. North End restaurants are slammed. Either embrace the street food or eat outside the neighborhood.
St. Anthony’s Feast Boston is the North End turned up to eleven. It’s loud, chaotic, and crowded—but that’s the point. You’re stepping into a century-old tradition where food, faith, and community collide in the most delicious way possible.
If you’re visiting Boston in late August and want to see the city’s Italian heritage come alive, this is it. Just don’t expect to sit quietly with a glass of wine and a plate of pasta—this weekend is about eating in the street, dancing to live music, and soaking up the North End at its most festive.
Visiting from out of town? Make it a weekend with my 2-Day Weekend in Boston Itinerary.
Here’s the thing about Curaçao that nobody talks about enough there’s really no bad time to go. 🌤️ Outside the hurricane belt. Mid-80s nearly every day of the year. Colorful buildings no matter what month it is.
But there IS a difference between going in peak season vs. shoulder season, and it shows up in your wallet, your beach chair availability, and how long you’re waiting for a table at dinner.
Full breakdown of every season, what to expect, and when I’d personally go linked in bio.
I wasn’t expecting much. I just needed dinner. 🍽️ Kome ended up being one of the best meals of the entire trip.
Wood-fired everything. A menu that actually makes you read it twice. A vibe in Pietermaai that feels nothing like a tourist restaurant and everything like somewhere locals actually go. I didn’t rush. I didn’t check my phone. I just ate, start to finish, and enjoyed every single second of it.
If you’re in Curaçao and you only have one nice dinner make it this one.
#curaçao #travelling #travelvlog #musttryrestaurant #visitcuracao
Renting a golf cart in Bimini was genuinely one of the best decisions we made the entire cruise, and if you have a stop there, I cannot recommend it enough.
✨ Off the ship and behind the wheel within minutes
✨ Multiple beaches, food stops, and random pull-offs
✨ Zero tour schedules, zero waiting on strangers
✨ Just the island, at your own pace
Honest caveat: if you prefer a guided experience with everything planned out, a tour might suit you better. But if you like doing your own thing? This is it.
Everything you need to know about renting, where to go, what to budget, and our favorite stops, is linked in bio. 🔗
50 miles from Miami. Feels like a different planet. 🌴
One day in Bimini looks like: golf cart before 9am, Bimini bread still warm from the oven, water so clear it looks fake, and a conch stand where the guy knows everyone’s name.
No itinerary needed. But I made one anyway because that’s just who I am. Linked in bio
#bimini #biminibahamas #travel #travelblogger #visitbahamas
If you go to Bimini and don’t get conch salad… what are you even doing? 🐚
I’m not exaggerating when I say this ended up being one of my favorite parts of the whole trip. It’s a local staple, and after talking to enough people on the island, I realized fast, Bahamians have very strong opinions about where to get the best one.
So we made it a mission.
We tracked down the three spots that kept coming up over and over again, and I tried them all so you don’t have to guess.
Full breakdown is linked in bio. 🔗
#travel #travelblogger #bimini #bahamas #conchsalad
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