Italian Feast in Verplanck Celebrating 100th Anniversary
News Based on facts, either observed and verified directly by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
The longest-running Italian feast in the Hudson Valley is celebrating a milestone this summer: its 100th anniversary.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Feast in Verplanck, famous for its sausage and peppers, the world’s largest Tarantella and fabulous fireworks, is marking its accomplishment by having eight days of food and fun on Eighth Street and Highland Avenue, starting on Sunday, July 10 and running through Sunday, July 17.
To kick off the festivities, His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan will be heading mass at St. Patrick’s Church on 11th St. in Verplanck at 10:15 a.m. on July 10.
A variety of food trucks, music, rides and games will be available each of the eight days of the festival. The first of three fireworks shows by Garden State Fireworks will take place on Wednesday, July 13 at 9:30 p.m.
On Saturday, July 16 at 5 p.m., a Fireman’s Parade will line the streets. Fireworks will also be shot that night.
On Sunday, July 17, a traditional Italian mass will be held at St. Patrick’s noon, followed by a procession with members of the Mt. Carmel Society carrying a statue of the saint through the streets of Verplanck for residents to give thanks and say a prayer.
The feast will conclude with a bang on July 17 with an 11 p.m. fireworks spectacular.
The annual festival of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a tradition that goes back many hundreds of years in Southern Italy and was brought to Verplanck by the immigrants who arrived between 1890 and 1920 to work in the brickyards and stone quarry.
The Catholic feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is July 16, which is why the Mt. Carmel Society has held its festival the third weekend in July since 1922.
The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Society is a non-profit organization that makes donations to many local charities and causes.
For more information, visit the Mt. Carmel website at www.OLMCV.org,
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/
