3 days ago
St. Anthony's Feast in North End warns of ticket, vendor scams
The post noted that the feast, which is billed as the largest Italian street festival in New England, is free to enter, and tickets are not required.
'Please don't fall victim and pay someone for tickets,' the post read.
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Organizers also said that no vending space is available for this year's festival, meaning that any messages reaching out about vendors are likely fraudulent.
Mike Bosco, a member of the feast's organizing committee, said by email the warning was issued 'out of an abundance of caution' after organizers were alerted Thursday of a social media account that was fraudulently soliciting vendors.
Last year, organizers received reports of social media accounts trying to sell tickets to the feast, Bosco said.
'We are not aware of anyone actually purchasing fraudulent tickets either last year or this year,' he said,
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St. Anthony's Feast hosts nearly 100 vendors every year, according to the event's website, selling traditional Italian American street food and pastries.
The festival, held on Endicott, Thatcher, and North Margin Streets in the North End, from Aug. 29-31.
It celebrates St. Anthony, a 13th-century friar known for preaching social justice, as well as St. Lucy, or Santa Lucia, a Sicilian woman killed during the Roman persecutions of the 4th century.
The tradition was introduced to the North End by Italian immigrants from Montefalcione, a small town east of Naples. This year will mark the event's 106th anniversary.
The festival draws more than 250,000 people, according to organizers, and will culminate in an hours-long procession of the Statue of Saint Anthony on Sunday.
Camilo Fonseca can be reached at
