Little Italy Cleveland Celebrates the Feast of the Assumption

Ever since 1898 the annual celebration of the Feast of the Assumption has been the highlight of the Italian-American community in Cleveland’s Little Italy. Occurring in August to coincide with Aug 15, the Catholic feast day of the Assumption of Mary into heaven, the celebration continues for a four-day weekend. In Italy it’s known as Ferragosto..in Little Italy it’s known as The Feast.

How fortunate for me that I happened to be in Cleveland this very weekend! Don’t ask me how, but I have never been to Little Italy before, even though I grew up in Cleveland.

Since 1879 people of Italian descent settled in an area of Cleveland’s East Side known as Little Italy. Holy Rosary Church has been the heart of Little Italy for many generations.

Although the procession venerating the Blessed Virgin through the streets following a solemn Mass at Holy Rosary Church wasn’t going to occur until Monday, the actual feast day, I went to Little Italy on Saturday night with my brother to experience the myriad of street vendors selling everything from pizza, sausage, pasta, Italian ice, pastries, and steamed clams.

Live music was also a major attraction at the Feast. And despite the rain, we had a great time!

Music filled the air as Italian-Americans entertained us with song and accordions.

The atmosphere was festive with Italian flags and outdoor food of all kinds.

Some of the best Italian bakeries and restaurants line Mayfield Avenue, and we had to go inside Presti’s and Corbo’s to whet our appetites with the smells of dolci!

It took a lot of self-control to resist these cannoli, biscotti, and gelato choices!

The hand-painted murals on the wall tell a story in pictures of this community where my ancestors originally lived after their immigration into this country from Italy in the early years of the 20th century.

We finally decided on Trattoria on the Hill and went inside for dinner.

Both our choices of veal cutlet and Italian sausage with peppers and onions hit the spot. I loved the atmosphere and the delicious taste of authentic Italian-American food!