Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast & Giglio Festival event image
Shrine Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Havemeyer & N 8th Streets, Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast & Giglio Festival

120 men hoist a 70-foot, four-ton tower — live brass band riding on top — and dance it through Williamsburg streets ringed with zeppole and rides.

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FreeSince 1887Street feast

This is one of New York's great surviving immigrant traditions: since 1887 the Italian-American community of Williamsburg has hoisted a 70-foot, four-ton tower called the Giglio — brass band riding on top — and danced it through the streets on the shoulders of more than a hundred men. Around the lifts, twelve nights of zeppole stands, sausage-and-pepper smoke, carnival rides and games transform the blocks around the Shrine Church. If you see one only-in-Brooklyn spectacle this month, make it a G

What to expect

A classic saint's-feast midway — food stalls, rides, games and families out late — that erupts when the Giglio moves: lifters in matching shirts heave the tower up in unison while the band on the platform plays and the crowd packs the sidewalks. Lift days are the peak; other nights are a mellower neighborhood carnival.

Good to know

  • The Giglio lifts happen on designated feast days — check the schedule and plan around one
  • Havemeyer Street and North 8th around the Shrine Church are the heart of the footprint
  • Come hungry: zeppole, braciole and sausage-and-peppers are the classic order
  • L to Bedford Av or G to Metropolitan Av, then a short walk
  • Lift crowds get dense; kids do better at the rides and games on non-lift nights
  • Entry to the feast is free — bring cash for food and ride tickets

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Common questions

What is the Giglio?

A roughly 70-foot, four-ton painted tower honoring San Paolino di Nola, lifted and 'danced' through the streets by over a hundred men while a live band plays from its platform — a tradition brought from Italy in the late 1800s.

Is the feast free?

Yes, walking the feast is free. Food, rides and games are pay-as-you-go.

When should I go to see the tower lifted?

Lifts happen on specific feast days rather than nightly, so check the official schedule and time your visit to one of them.