{"id":25272,"date":"2024-08-04T13:10:40","date_gmt":"2024-08-04T17:10:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/?p=25272"},"modified":"2024-08-05T08:06:02","modified_gmt":"2024-08-05T12:06:02","slug":"st-peters-fiesta-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/2024\/08\/04\/st-peters-fiesta-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Photos: St. Peter’s Fiesta in Gloucester"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The thrilling, bonkers Greasy Pole Contest increasingly brings attention to St. Peter\u2019s Fiesta in Gloucester, the city\u2019s annual kickoff off summer, a celebration of Gloucester\u2019s Sicilian-American Catholic commercial fishing community, a yearly homecoming and family reunion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each evening during the festival weekend, men costumed as police, Mario Bros., ladies, dodgeball players, saints, navy sailors and the like compete to be the first to walk to the end of a 45-foot-long wooden telephone pole, slathered in grease (formerly automotive grease, but these days supposedly biodegradable), extending horizontally from the end of a platform 200 yards off Pavilion Beach, without slipping off and breaking their ribs, to grab a flag off the end. Winners swim to shore and are carried though the streets on the shoulders of follow walkers in celebration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Greasy Pole walkers generally gather beforehand at the home of Greasy Pole champion Peter \u201cBlack\u201d Frontiero on Pine Street. On Saturday, I photographed competitors as they joined the Orchard Street Fiesta Bash parade, organized by sisters Amy Clayton and Robin Clayton McNair, known as the Crazy Hat Ladies for the dazzling hats they craft and wear each year decorated with extensive tiny dioramas of Fiesta events. Afterward, the walkers honored the late champion Anthony Matza Giambanco outside his Middle Street home and visited bars at Amvets, the Legion Hall, Gloucester House and the St. Peter\u2019s Club for beers and to chant the blessings (\u201cViva San Pietro!\u201d) before boarding a lobster boat flying a Trump flag to motor out to the Greasy Pole platform. I photographed the competition from a kayak floating near the end of the pole on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival, of course, is named for the patron saint of Roman Catholic fisherman. St. Peter is believed to have been a fisherman who became one of Jesus\u2019s 12 apostles, or earliest and closest followers, and he\u2019s traditionally celebrated as the church\u2019s first pope. Gloucester\u2019s festival takes place each year on the weekend closest to his feast day, June 29. This year it began with the traditional Novena, nine evenings of prayer from June 17 to 25 at the Legion Hall, and continued through Sunday, June 30.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The festival was founded in 1927 after Gloucester fishing captain Salvatore Favazza commissioned a Charlestown sculptor to create a statue of St. Peter, which Favazza showcased in a storefront window and paraded through the streets of Gloucester\u2019s waterfront Sicilian-immigrant neighborhood, the Fort, as the faithful shouted \u201cMe chi samiou, dute mute? Viva San Pietro!\u201d (Roughly: \u201cShout it louder, are we all mute? Long live St. Peter!\u201d) The blessing continues to be shouted during processions and by Greasy Pole walkers and revelers throughout the festival to this day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The religious tradition continues as women lead songs and prayers for the first eight evenings of the Novena at the Legion Hall, in an upstairs room where the festival\u2019s St. Peter statue has been set up on a stage. On the ninth evening, this year a Tuesday night, a priest leads a mass there, before men carry the statue out to the street, down to the sea at Beach Court for a blessing, and return it to the window shrine at the St. Peter\u2019s Club on Rogers Street.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During Friday night\u2019s opening ceremonies, the St. Peter statue is paraded back around the Legion Hall then to a temporary altar at St. Peter\u2019s Square, next to the festival carnival. After an outdoor mass in St. Peter\u2019s Square on Sunday morning, the statue of St. Peter and statues and icons of the Madonna and other saints are joined by marching bands and floats for a 2-mile-long procession through downtown Gloucester, stopping for blessings at shrines and churches along the way, before ending at the St. Peter\u2019s Club. A blessing of the fleet is held at the Fisherman Statue at the Stacy Boulevard waterfront on Sunday afternoon. Each weekend afternoon seine boat rowers race a half-mile from Pavilion Beach and back. The Fiesta ends with a closing procession of the St. Peter statue though the nighttime streets of the Fort after 11 p.m. the ends with returning the statue to its home in the St. Peter\u2019s Club window, where it rests until the next Fiesta.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

If this is the kind of coverage of arts, cultures and activisms you appreciate, please support Wonderland by contributing to Wonderland on Patreon<\/a>. And sign up for our free, occasional newsletter<\/a> so that you don’t miss any of our reporting. (All content \u00a9Greg Cook 2024 or the respective creato<\/em>rs.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession on Prospect Street, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession on Prospect Street, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Novena
Novena mass upstairs at Gloucester’s Legion Hall concluding the nine evenings of prayer leading up to the St. Peter’s Fiesta. Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"After
After the Novena mass, carrying the St. Peter statue out of the Legion Hall for a procession down to Beach Court then back to the St. Peter’s Club. Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"After
After the Novena mass, a procession of St. Peter statue down to Beach Court. Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Chanting
Chanting the blessings, “Viva San Pietro!,” during the procession of St. Peter statue down to Beach Court after the Novena mass. Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"After
After the Novena mass, carrying the St. Peter statue from Beach Court back to the St. Peter’s Club. Tuesday, June 25, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"During
During the opening procession of the St. Peter’s Fiesta into St. Peter’s Square, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Lining
Lining up for the women’s seine boat races at Pavilion Beach, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Women's
Women’s seine boat crew races past the greasy pole platform. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Women's
Women’s seine boat race. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Women's
Women’s seine boat race champions at Pavilion Beach, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Orchard
Orchard Street Fiesta Bash from the Crazy Hat Ladies (Robyn Clayton McNair and Amy Clayton) during the St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The Crazy Hat Ladies (Robyn Clayton McNair, left, and Amy Clayton) with their sons during their Orchard Street Fiesta Bash for St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Orchard
Orchard Street Fiesta Bash parade by the Crazy Hat Ladies (Robyn Clayton McNair and Amy Clayton) during the St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The Crazy Hat Ladies (Amy Clayton, left, Robyn Clayton McNair) during their Orchard Street Fiesta Bash parade for St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Band
Band playing during the Orchard Street Fiesta Bash parade from the Crazy Hat Ladies (Amy Clayton, left, Robyn Clayton McNair) duringr St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Squiggy
Squiggy leads greasy pole walkers in the Orchard Street Fiesta Bash parade by the Crazy Hat Ladies (Robyn Clayton McNair and Amy Clayton) during the St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers shout blessings inside Amvets on Washington Street before the competition in Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers outside the Legion Hall before the competition in Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers shout blessings outside the Legion Hall, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers honor the late Anthony Matza Giambanco at his Middle Street home before the competition in Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers honor the late Anthony Matza Giambanco at his Middle Street home before the competition in Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers shout blessings at the Gloucester House before the competition, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers shout blessings in St. Peter’s Club before the competition, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers prayign to the statue on the altar in St. Peter’s Square, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers shout blessings at the altar in St. Peter’s Square before the competition, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers riding a lobster boat to the pole, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Greasy Pole walkers riding a lobster boat to the pole, Gloucester. Saturday, June 29, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Max
Max Allen on his way to victory in the Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Max
Max Allen grabs the flag to win the Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Max
Max Allen is carried up Pavilion Beach after winning the Greasy Pole competition during St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession on Prospect Street, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession starting at St. Peter’s Square, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession near Legion Hall, Washington Street, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession at Lucido’s Barber Shop, Washington Street, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession at St. Ann Church, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Enzo
Enzo DiMaio shouts the blessings with the Madonna del Lume during St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession on Rogers Street, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession on Rogers Street, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession on Rogers Street, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter’s Fiesta Sunday Procession on Main Street, Gloucester. June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Sanfilippo
Sanfilippo family with the Madonna del Lume at Beach Court during the St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Sunday, June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Linquata
Linquata and Favazza family during the St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Sunday, June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Lucido
Lucido family outside Lucio’s Barber Shop on Washington Street during the St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Sunday, June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Conti
Conti and Linquata families during the St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Sunday, June 30, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"During
During the opening procession of the St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"During
During the opening procession of the St. Peter’s Fiesta, Gloucester. Friday, June 28, 2024. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The thrilling, bonkers Greasy Pole Contest increasingly brings attention to St. Peter\u2019s Fiesta in Gloucester, the city\u2019s annual kickoff off summer, a celebration of Gloucester\u2019s Sicilian-American Catholic commercial fishing community, a yearly homecoming and family reunion. Each evening during the festival weekend, men costumed as police, Mario Bros., ladies, dodgeball players, saints, navy sailors and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":25325,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[111,108,102,119],"tags":[1279,35,1278,84],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25272"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=25272"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25272\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":25392,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/25272\/revisions\/25392"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/25325"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=25272"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=25272"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=25272"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}