Employer: Myself
Website: Boston T Parties
The Trouble With North End Street Festivals…

Is that the streets are narrow, and cramped. Five feet into Hanover Street (way before I hit Salem Street, where Saint Anthony’s Festival started), and already I was at an impasse, blockaded by vast hordes of dogged pastry pursuiants. I took a (horrible -sorry!) photo of the line outside Mike’s Pastry Shop: just imagine one of those outside of nearly every nearby eating establishment. Even the chinese restaurant had a line.

Once I reached the festival, the crowds became much worse. Walking of my own accord was no longer possible, instead, I was very slowly propelled by stands offering greasy, sad $3/slice cheese pizzas, $6 sausage rolls, pina coladas served in your choice of fauxconut or plastic goblet, fried dough, italian ices, pastas, cannolis, biscotti, and arancini.

Those not tempted to eat their and their partner’s weight in lustily-fried foodstuffs could purchase tee-shirts, tattoos, and rosaries, or listen to modernized Italian ballads grazie a Aaron Caruso. To be honest, I’m probably being too harsh -in and of itself, St. Anthony’s Feast was certainly no worse than your average large ethnic/religious pride street festival, and most of the revelers, and more impressively, the booth workers, seemed to be genuinely enjoying themselves. Really, my issues lay solely with the overcrowding, the inability to explore at leisure. I went Saturday night, around 8, which was probably the festival’s peak. I’m guessing that if you were to go today, before the Santa Lucia Parade at 3, you might have better luck than I.

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[Boston T Parties]