Green, white, and red flags will wave over Highland Avenue in Verplanck, just three and a half miles from Peekskill. There, the scent of sausages with peppers and sautéed garlic will fill the streets, mingling with Italian music and strings of lights flickering over carnival rides. From July 16 to 20, the area will once again welcome thousands of people gathering to celebrate the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Feast.

This is the oldest Italian festival in the Hudson Valley. Traditions are preserved with solemnity: an Italian-language Mass, a religious procession, fireworks displays, and a food fair serving pasta, meatballs, broccoli rabe, pizza, and pastries such as cannoli and zeppole.

“Every time I go, I feel like I am back in my grandmother’s kitchen in Calabria [a region in southern Italy],” said Angela Rizzo, a Peekskill resident. She has been attending the festival for more than twenty years. “The procession moves me, but I also come for the cannoli and because I see friends I only run into once a year,” she shared.

As in previous years, the festival will take place at the intersection of Highland Avenue and 8th Street. On Wednesday, July 16, and Thursday, July 17, the event will begin at 6 p.m.; on Friday, July 18, and Saturday, July 19, it opens at 5 p.m.; and on Sunday, July 20, start time is 3 p.m. Admission is free, with plenty of food and several carnival rides available to purchase. Festivities will continue until 11 p.m. each night.

Sunday’s (July 20) schedule will begin with an Italian-language Mass at 3 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Church. It will be followed by a procession carrying the statue of the Virgin of Mount Carmel. This tradition has been alive for more than one hundred years, ever since Calabrian immigrants brought it to Verplanck in 1922.

In the 2024 edition, the Sunday Mass and procession drew nearly five hundred people to the streets. Even higher attendance is expected this year. With deep reverence, parishioners escorted the statue of the Virgin, accompanied by a local band and prayers recited in Italian.

Organizers of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Feast have confirmed there will be live music every night and two fireworks displays scheduled for Wednesday, July 16, and Sunday, July 20. According to The Society of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the feast typically attracts between five thousand and eight thousand visitors over its five-day run.

Ricky Marino, a Verplanck resident, said one of the main reasons he never misses the festival is its charitable mission, since one of its goals is to raise funds that support the activities of the Society of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. “This keeps history alive and gives back to the community. People do not always realize it, but the money raised supports scholarships and assistance for local families,” he explained.

For more information about the event, visit the official website or follow the organizers on social media.