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.
Italian food felt like the last thing I expected to find in the middle of the Appalachian Mountains... until I sat down at Ilda in Sylva.🍝
They call it Italian-Appalachian, and that’s not just a tagline. Homemade pasta, craft cocktails, local ingredients pulled straight from the mountains around it, this is the kind of meal that makes you forget you’re two hours from the nearest city. It’s cozy, it’s a little upscale, and it is not a walk-in kind of place, call ahead, because tables go fast on weekends.
It’s not cheap, and it’s not trying to be. But if you’re already making the trip out to Sylva, this is the one reservation worth planning your day around.
Full write-up, including what to order, link in bio.
Booked my fall cabin before September even started, and I’m not sorry about it. 🍂
These are the stays that make you actually want the cold to hurry up fireplaces, mountain views, the kind of porch you don’t leave. Not every one of these is going to fit every trip, but if a cozy fall getaway is on your radar, this is the roundup to start with.
One of my favorite travel seasons is almost here, and I have zero chill about it. 🍁✈️
There’s just something about fall trips cooler air, apple orchards, that first flannel of the season, food that actually makes sense with the weather again. I’m already mentally packing for it before September even starts.
If fall is your favorite time to travel too, tell me where you’re headed... I’m taking notes for the list.
Pack your bags... ✈️🧳My hiking and road trip gear shop just got a refresh, and this is everything that actually earns a spot in my bag. The dry bag pulls double duty for beach days and trail days, the Osprey backpack is the one I grab for anything motorcycle or day-hike related, and the GoPro comes with me literally everywhere at this point.
Nothing on this list is filler it’s all stuff I’ve used, packed, and repacked more times than I can count. Full shop linked in my bio if you want to build out your own kit before your next trip.
Filing this one under “go now before it gets cold.” Bonneville Hot Springs is one of those trips where fall access is honestly the sweet spot the campground road is open, the hike in is short, and you skip the snow-and-gate situation we dealt with when we went in March.
September and early fall mean clearer trails, easier parking, and pools that are just as good without the extra mile of hiking to earn them. Fewer than 10 people out there when we visited, a rustic changing booth, zero amenities, and pools that range from “relax” to “actually scalding” until you move some rocks around and mix in river water. Small waterfalls feeding in, mountains in every direction, not polished, and that’s exactly the point.
Full breakdown on parking, what to pack, and timing it right is linked in my bio.
Follow @travelwithwendyplummer for Beautiful Beach Destinations, City Guides, Foodie Spots, and Luxury Hotel Recommendations.
