If you missed Ferragosto 2008 in the Belmont area of the Bronx (also known as Little Italy in the Bronx), you missed out on a fun filled cultural event for the entire family.

This wasn’t your average Italian street fair; it wasn’t filled with outside vendors that come in, setup shop for the day and then disappear into the night.

This was something much more personal. This was a true display of Italian pride; and a true display of community and camaraderie that you seldom see or feel at a street fair in a city of this size.

The majority of the “street” vendors at this event were actually neighborhood businesses. Restaurants had their tables outside allowing patrons to dine al fresco in the beautiful weather we all hoped and prayed for. Customers lined up twenty deep to buy fresh zeppole. Meanwhile, there was plenty of activity over at Cosenza’s Fish Market where patrons enjoyed raw seafood specialties; and the businesses from the Arthur Avenue Retail Market (Mike’s Deli) were out in full force too - selling fresh grilled sausage, pinwheels, and roast suckling pig, among a variety of the other Italian specialty food products.

Those that were interested in snacking lightly had plenty of opportunity to enjoy the free samples being offered by a variety of businesses; Palombo’s had a 20-minute line filled with eager customers that gladly enjoyed a refreshing homemade Italian Ice; Cerini Coffee and Gifts (which was also celebrating the grand opening of their new and beautiful store) was handing out free espresso’s as they professionally demonstrated the illy X7 Espresso machine; and all day long - the staff at Teitel Brothers handed out samples of Parmiggiano-Reggiano, imported Italian olives, fresh mozzarella and more.

A gastronomic feast was really at the hands of all who wanted to partake. On one end of the feast the delightful staff at Ann & Tony’s was warmly welcoming diners indoors throughout the day. While on the other end of the festival, Rigoletto’s offered outdoor dining and music. And in between, was everyone from Artuso’s Pastry, Umberto’s, Gina’s, Enzo’s, Calandra, La Cantina, and many more.

Entertainment was available almost everywhere you turned; from the lively performances by Angelo Coppola as he played his Dino Baffetti accordian at the Musica Italiana stall, to the impressive celebrity vocals (Anthony Piranio, Dominic Chianese, Enzo Venuto and many more) resonating from the main stage. Children of all ages were happy to discover free professional face painting by Larry (914-843-4254). And it was certainly difficult to be at the festival without noticing the entertaining talents of the Commedia dell’arte Players, actors dressed in full costumes, portraying 16th century characters.

In short, the businesses in this area are very proud of their heritage and the products and services that they offer. Ferragosto Visitors should be aware that the quality of food, and attention received from the vendors during this Ferragosto celebration is a small gesture compared to the way they welcome customers during a normal work day. Perhaps this is why visitors traveled from all over New York State, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut to partake in the festivities.

• Visit the Abbondanza! Photo Galleries for a selection of images from this event.
• Send us an e-mail if you would like access to a multimedia presentation of the event (contains audio and over 70 hi-res images).