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Patchogue’s largest celebration of Italian heritage is all set for its return to Main Street next month.
Hosted by the Greater Patchogue Cultural Heritage Committee, the annual Italian Feast of Saint Liberata Festival is on Sept. 10 from noon-5 p.m. in downtown Patchogue.
David Kennedy, executive director of the Greater Patchogue Chamber of Commerce, gave greaterpatchogue.com the rundown of all the exciting festivities planned for the day.
“Saint Liberata is really a celebration of local families coming together and the Italian immigrants who built this town in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s,” Kennedy said. “It’s nice to celebrate our strong connection to that heritage.”
The traditional procession begins at noon in front of the Suffolk County District Court, on Main Street next to The Tap Room, and proceeds east to downtown’s Four Corners, where the official ceremony starts at 12:45 p.m.
All money pinned to the statue of Saint Liberata during the ceremony and throughout the festival is donated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Frances de Sales Outreach.
Following the ceremony, attendees can stroll up and down Main Street, dine at the local restaurants, enjoy live music and entertainment, view classic Italian cars, partake in a zeppole eating contest, kid-friendly activities and more.
The annual bocce ball tournament will be on the lawn of the Sixth District Court/Teen Center at the Patchogue-Medford Carnegie Library.
Participating restaurants plan to offer wine tastings for the fifth annual “Vino in the Village” wine walk as well.
The Italian-American of the Year for 2022 is Steve Fuoco, a former Patchogue Village trustee, longtime chamber member, and active Patchogue Rotary member. Fuoco was born and raised in East Patchogue, and his ties to the Italian community span decades.
He first got involved with the Saint Liberata festival in 2006 and created the bocce ball tournament that is now featured, Kennedy said. The honoree also started the Fuoco Golf Festival in support of Camp Pa-Qua-Tuck, a summer camp for special needs children, of which his late sister Beth Ann attended for more than 15 years.
Since its founding in 1969, the Fuoco family, friends and partnering organizations have collected and donated more than $2 million to the camp.
In the event of rainy weather, an alternative date for the festival is set for Sept. 17.
To sign up for the bocce tournament or receive more information about this event, you can call 631.207.1000 or email info@Patchogue.com.
Continue to follow greaterpatchogue.com for updates.
Top photo: Saint Liberata statue. File image by Ana Borruto.
