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St. Ann's Italian Festa in Raritan returns for 116th running with pizza fritte and more
Volunteer Joe Cirillo spent years shepherding the efforts to revive the beloved St. Ann's Italian Festa in Raritan Borough − before he even had the opportunity to attend one.
Due to COVID-19 and financial difficulties, the principal fundraiser for St. Ann Church and accompanying St. Ann Classical Academy was in purgatory for five years. But thanks to Cirillo and his fellow 100 volunteers' efforts, the festival in the primarily Italian borough returned last year − and it was worth every bite.
'On the first night of last year's Festa I said to Pastor Tom Odorizzi, 'Did you ever think we would make it to this point?' ' Cirillo recalled. 'We had so many obstacles we had to overcome. But it was everything that I thought it would be and more. That meatball sandwich never tasted so good.'
Cirillo and the 2,000 people who attend the Festa each day are in for plenty more meatball sandwiches, pizza fritte, breaded eggplant, and sausage and peppers when the free-admission event returns for the 116th time. It runs from 5 to 10 p.m. Thursday, June 19, to Saturday, June 21, at 40 2nd Ave.
This time, it isn't going anywhere.
'As far as I'm concerned, we are taking this as long as we can go,' Cirillo said. 'The goal was never to bring it back for just one year. This is the 116th and we want to get to 1,016th.'
That's possible now that the Festa has new fridges, a new sauce vat and new grills, and machinery maintenance has been completed. An additional pizza fritte fryer was also recently purchased, which will speed up long lines for the fried, doughy delight.
This year Festa attendees will also enjoy an additional 150 seats where they can chow down on the volunteer-made Italian fare that the Festa is known for.
The Festa will also return to its roots this running for the first time in years when the procession of Saint Rocco, a statue inside the church and the patron saint of the Festa, takes place on opening night.
Following a 3 p.m. mass at St. Ann Church on Thursday, June 19, the procession of the statue will begin at 4 p.m. and parade through the school and convent before its placed in a shrine around 5 p.m. Prayer cards will be set up so people can make donations.
Almost all towns in Italy have a patron saint, and celebrations including food and entertainment are held on a patron saint's feast day.
Saint Rocco is a common patron saint for various Italian towns since, as the patron saint of contagious diseases, he healed countless people from the Black Plague when he visited Italy during that era.
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So, when Raritan became a popular settlement for Italian immigrants, it was only natural that the patron saint became the one many borough residents shared no matter where in Italy they were from – Saint Rocco.
However, one more piece of the pie is still needed. Since the Festa is labor-intensive, volunteers are needed for tasks such as setting up equipment, breaking down equipment, and stretching pizza fritte dough.
Those interested can contact Cirillo at 201-724-7997 or sign up at
People can also purchase $1,000 tent sponsorships by contacting Cirillo. Each sponsor is represented by a sign on one of the food tents, which can display business names, memorial messages and more.
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Last year, the Festa raised $50,000 for the school and church, which was 'desperately needed,' Cirillo said.
'As long as people support the Festa, it's going to continue, so we're looking for new people to step up and volunteer, especially for leadership roles,' Cirillo continued. 'At some point our committee members are going to retire, so when that happens we need people willing to continue the tradition into the future.'
Go: 5 to 10 June 19, through Saturday, June 21; 40 2nd Ave., Raritan; Contact 201-724-7997 to vounteer or donate, or sign up at
Contact: JIntersimone@
Jenna Intersimone has been a staff member at the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey since 2014, although she's a lifetime Jersey girl who considers herself an expert in everything from the Jersey Shore to the Garden State's buzzing downtowns. To get unlimited access to her stories about food, drink and fun, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. You can also follow her on Instagram at @seejennaeat and on Twitter at @JIntersimone.
This article originally appeared on St. Ann's Italian Festa in Raritan NJ returns in June
