For 52 years, 18th Avenue has turned into a slice of Palermo each late August, and this is the last weekend to catch it before the feast wraps on Sunday, Aug. 30. Come for blocks of sausage-and-pepper smoke, Villabate Alba cannoli, carnival rides and nightly live music. Sunday brings the grand finale: a 2pm procession carrying Santa Rosalia's statue from 72nd Street to Our Lady of Guadalupe Church for a 3pm Mass.
What to expect
Seven-plus blocks of zeppole, sausage-and-pepper stands, cannoli and Sicilian specialties, plus carnival rides, games and live music each night. Friday and Saturday are classic feast nights; Sunday layers in the religious side — the 2pm statue procession and 3pm Mass — before the final evening of the year. Expect dense, festive crowds along 18th Avenue.
Good to know
- Sunday's procession steps off at 2pm from the statue at 18th Ave & 72nd St; Mass follows at 3pm at Our Lady of Guadalupe, 7201 15th Ave.
- The feast covers 18th Ave from 68th St to Bay Ridge Pkwy (75th St).
- Local listings put closing-weekend hours around 2-11pm; weeknights are evenings only.
- Take the D train to 71st St or 79th St — both stops sit a block off the feast.
- Bring cash for rides, games and some food booths.
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Common questions
Is there an admission fee?
No — the feast is free to walk. You pay only for food, rides and games.
When is the grand procession?
Sunday, Aug. 30 at 2pm, starting at the Santa Rosalia statue at 18th Ave & 72nd St and ending at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church (7201 15th Ave), where Mass is celebrated at 3pm.
What is the feast celebrating?
Santa Rosalia, patron saint of Palermo — tradition holds that an rc1624 procession of her relics ended a plague there, and Bensonhurst's Sicilian community has honored her on 18th Avenue for 52 years.
Did I miss the cannoli eating contest?
Yes — it ran Monday, Aug. 24 outside Villabate Alba (7001 18th Ave). The famed Sicilian bakery sits mid-feast, though, if you want a box of your own.
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