Our Lady of Mount Carmel & San Paolino Di Nola Feast "Giglio Festival"

Southern Italians migrated to Brooklyn in the 1860s, bringing with them the rich tradition of the Giglio Feast, also known as the feast of the lilies. Since 1903, the Italian community in north Williamsburg has commemorated the life of St. Paulinus every July with a neighborhood celebration. Local artisans labor for months to construct a seven-story tower of aluminum, paper maché, and plastic decorated with giglio (lilies). During the festival, teams of men hoist this tower into the air and carry it through the streets surrounding Our Lady of Mount Carmel, cheered on by crowds accompanied by trucks selling sausages, peppers, and zeppoles. The community is eager to create new alliances with fellow artists and New Yorkers to preserve this colorful and delicious celebration.

The BAC Folk Arts Tent will host an evening of live music featuring the Southern Italian folk band Newpoli from the regions of Campania and Puglia and Taino-Dominican vocalist and performer Irka Mateo, who will perform salve, a sacred call and response dedicated to the Virgin Mary.