Kick off summer in the City of Brotherly Love with an Italian water ice and sausage and peppers because the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival is back!
On May 17 & 18 from 10 a.m. to 5p.m., running along 9th Street from Fitzwater Street to Wharton Street, the festival will fill seven city blocks with more than 100 local businesses and vendors sharing their food, drinks, souvenirs, and arts and crafts. The event is free to enter and pay-as-you-go with live music and entertainment. Bring home some olive oil and balsamic vinegar, stop by and say hi to Body By Rigatoni, and don’t leave without a little box of treats from Isgro’s Pastries.
The Italian Market is one of the oldest outdoor markets in America, and its festival is one of Philadelphia’s biggest annual block parties. The event showcases Philly’s rich Italian American roots in the historic and iconic Bella Vista & Passyunk Square communities in South Philadelphia. The area is now home to many diverse populations and ethnic groups, so you’ll get to sample flavors and cuisines from a variety of other countries and cultures.
On Sunday, you can experience the Procession of Saints, a Roman-Catholic tradition popular in many areas of Italy and Mexico. A Philadelphia practice that dates to the 1920s, statues and saints are carried through the streets by members of the community. Beginning at historic Saint Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi Church and ending at St. Paul Catholic Church, there will be pauses for blessings and sprinklings of holy water along the way.
For more details, times, and travel specifics, head here.
