{"id":26463,"date":"2025-07-02T00:17:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T04:17:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/?p=26463"},"modified":"2025-07-02T01:34:08","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T05:34:08","slug":"st-peters-fiesta-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/2025\/07\/02\/st-peters-fiesta-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Photos: St. Peter’s Fiesta In Gloucester"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At the start of summer in the last days of June, Gloucester celebrated its 98th annual St. Peter\u2019s Fiesta\u2014my beloved Sicilian Catholic fishing drinking festival. It\u2019s a festival of the internationally famous Greasy Pole contest, in which costumed men (one woman competed this year) compete to be the first to shimmy across a greased 45-foot-long telephone pole to grab a flag off the end. It\u2019s the festival of seine boat rowing races across the harbor, of the Crazy Hat Ladies, of women singing prayers at the Novena, of shouted blessings as statues and icons of saints are carried through the downtown, of the carnival, of Italian sausages, of traditions (and grudges) passed down through the generations (to my own son too). It is the festival of new babies and remembering so many loved ones gone (one Greasy Pole walker told me of scattering a recently departed friend\u2019s ashes as he walked the pole this year). Viva San Pietro! Viva! Viva!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

P.S. I\u2019ve photographed the St. Peter\u2019s Fiesta for three decades. Some of them are online:\u00a02024<\/a>, 2022<\/a>, 2018<\/a>, 2017<\/a>, more 2017<\/a>, 2014<\/a>, 2013<\/a>, 2009<\/a>, 2008<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If this is the kind of coverage of arts, cultures and activisms you appreciate, please support Wonderland by\u00a0contributing to Wonderland on Patreon<\/a>. And\u00a0sign up for our free, occasional newsletter<\/a>\u00a0so that you don’t miss any of our reporting. (All content \u00a9Greg Cook 2025 or the respective creato<\/em>rs.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Carrying
Carrying the statue of St. Peter down to the sea for blessings after the last night of the Novena, the nine evenings of prayer that kick off Gloucester’s annual St. Peter’s Fiesta, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The Novena Mass that concludes the nine evenings of prayer that kick off the annual St. Peter’s Fiesta, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Leading
Leading prayers before the Novena Mass, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Blowing
Blowing out candles on the altar after the Novena Mass, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Cake
Cake after the Novena Mass, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Carrying
Carrying the St. Peter statue out of the Legion Hall after the Novena Mass, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The procession into the Fort after the Novena Mass, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Carrying
Carrying the statue of St. Peter down to the sea for blessings after the last night of the Novena, the nine evenings of prayer that kick off Gloucester’s annual St. Peter’s Fiesta, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The procession into the Fort after the Novena Mass, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The statue of St. Peter is returned to the window of the St. Peter’s Club after the final night of the Novena, June 24, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"St.
St. Peter heads up Washinton Street during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Oars
Oars representing boats in Gloucester’s commercial fishing fleet are carried at the front of Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Shouting
Shouting blessings at Holy Family Church during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The Boston Fireman’s Band plays during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Children
Children watching Sunday’s Procession from the window of the Mother of Grace Club, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The St. Peter statue stops at the Mother of Grace Club on Washington Street during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Shouting
Shouting blessings at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Sunday's
Sunday’s Procession continues along Prospect Street, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Amy
Amy Clayton, one of the Crazy Hat Ladies, photographs the St. Peter statue during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Carrying
Carrying statues of saints during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Shouting
Shouting blessings at Our Lady of Good Voyage Church during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Icons
Icons and statues of saints during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The Ciaramitaro family makes its annual donation during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Statues
Statues and icons line up in front of Holy Family Church during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"The
The men carrying the St. Peter statue shout blessings during Sunday’s Procession, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Before
Before Sunday’s Greasy Pole competition, walkers shout blessings to St. Peter at the statue in front of the festival altar in St. Peter’s Square, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy pole aboard the fishing boat that will take them from St. Peter’s Square to the pole on Sunday, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Greasy
Greasy pole walkers depart St. Peter’s Square for the pole on Sunday, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Seine
Seine boat racers row from St. Peter’s Square for Sunday’s competition, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Fog
Fog rolled in for the Sunday Greasy Pole competition, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Watching
Watching the Sunday Greasy Pole competition from Pavilion Beach, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Sunday
Sunday Greasy Pole winner Nick White is splashed in the surf before his fellow competitors carry him up Pavilion Beach, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nick
Nick White is carried up Pavilion Beach after winning Sunday’s Greasy Pole competition, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nick
Nick White is carried up Beach Court after winning Sunday’s Greasy Pole competition, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nick
Nick White celebrates winning Sunday’s Greasy Pole competition at the wall of fame on Commercial Street in the Fort, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nick
Nick White celebrates winning Sunday’s Greasy Pole competition at the wall of fame on Commercial Street in the Fort, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nick
Nick White is embraced in the St. Peter’s Club after winning Sunday’s Greasy Pole competition, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nick
Nick White is embraced in the St. Peter’s Club after winning Sunday’s Greasy Pole competition, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Nick
Nick White is embraced in the St. Peter’s Club after winning Sunday’s Greasy Pole competition, June 29, 2025. (\u00a9Greg Cook photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

At the start of summer in the last days of June, Gloucester celebrated its 98th annual St. Peter\u2019s Fiesta\u2014my beloved Sicilian Catholic fishing drinking festival. It\u2019s a festival of the internationally famous Greasy Pole contest, in which costumed men (one woman competed this year) compete to be the first to shimmy across a greased 45-foot-long […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26423,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[111,108,102,119],"tags":[35,84],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26463"}],"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=26463"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26463\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26467,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26463\/revisions\/26467"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26423"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26463"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26463"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26463"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}