The Feast of Santa Rosalia will open on August 20 along 18th Avenue in Bensonhurst, between 68th Street and Bay Ridge Parkway. Santa Rosalia is Palermo’s patron saint. Tradition holds that during the 1624 plague, she appeared in visions and revealed the location of her remains inside a cave. The epidemic reportedly ended after her bones were carried through Palermo in procession.
The 10-day celebration will offer amusement rides, live entertainment, games, drinks, and food. An annual cannoli-eating competition will also take place with support from Il Colosseo, Robert Defalco Realty, and Villabate Alba Bakery.
