I love the vibe. The music the food was awesome I am back today to enjoy the music....

If you really want to know the whole story, it's all laid out on their website but reading a bunch of bullet points on a screen about some big neighborhood spectacle is about the most depressing thing you can do, so I'll explain. ​Basically, the Giglio Feast is a historic 12-day Italian-American festival that happens every July at Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. It's been going on since 1887 when immigrants brought it over from Nola, Italy, to honor Saint Paulinus commemorating when he returned from captivity after sacrificing himself for his people and Our Lady of Mount Carmel. That part actually sounds pretty decent, if you want to know the truth, but the way spectators in attendance make a huge circus out of it just drives me crazy. Then participants are amazing. ​The main event is this thing called the "Dancing of the Giglio," where they take a giant 70-foot tower made of wood and steel weighing four whole tons and covered in lilies, angels, and religious figures and hoist it up. They've got a live brass band and a singer literally sitting right on top of the timber frame while roughly 120 guys lift, spin, and "dance" this enormous four-ton thing down North 8th Street on their bare shoulders. ​Guys in matching outfits blowing saxophones and yelling on the platform, and crowds of people crammed together in the street taking photos and cheering. There's even a statue of a saint perched at the very top against the blue sky, looking down at all these phonies sweating and carrying on in the heat. It's supposed to be this grand, sacred tradition, but looking at a hundred guys breaking their backs to carry a four-ton tower with a band riding on it just makes you feel sort of tired and thirsty. It really does. read more

This was my second or third excursion here. It's been years since I've gone but it's probably a mediocre fair, which is about ten blocks long, at best. A few basic rides and food being sold but I think it's relatively boring and just blah overall. If you're not a regular, live nearby or just in the area, for another reason, it's surely not worth venturing over here, in my opinion. read more

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so happy this year there were different vendors for food and jewelry, toys etc. even some new rides this year. had lots of fun . even saw a freestyle singer this year read more

Great for another year of The Giglio Feast. I love feast and it is a gem of Williamsburg ever year. Nice Street food and still some of amusement activities going on at the festival. This year, I just enjoy with oysters and clams. I also have some chicken bbq and a bottle of sparkling wine. Most ppl may think of feast in little Italy but actually in this Neiborhood use to be a lot of Italian too, that is why they still keep their tradition. read more

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If you think Italians are only good for GTL then you need to reintroduce yourself to their history! Everyone might know Jersey Shore, but not everyone appreciates this beautiful feast to honor a SAINT! You know how many people still don't know the 18th Avenue feast in Brooklyn is for St. Rosalia?! ::steps off Ronnie's shoulders:: Prepare yourselves to sweat this Giglio Sunday with the official lifting, dancing, and singing of the Boat and Giglio! Rumor has it that even God knows it's Giglio Sunday and that's why it never rains; I can't recall the last time it did and I've been coming since I was in the womb! The most delicious Italian street food to ever grace your happy mouth! Zeppoles, sausage and peppers, calzones with sweet ham that could make the angels cry is enough of a reason to come! This feast knows no race! Games, drinking, candles to be lit in our of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and go look inside that beautiful simple church, even if it's just for the AC. Beautiful people, beautiful singing, beautiful smells in the air, and beautiful men - young and old - sweating, flexing, dancing, chanting, and lifting the Giglio! I think I wrote my first softcore porn review! Look for me Sunday! I OWN the church steps! Let's have a calzone together! :) read more

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If you're reading this, go to the Giglio Feast right now! Or tomorrow. Because tomorrow (7/16) is the last day for this year. I honestly had no idea this was a thing until a Yelp friend brought it up. If you're familiar with Italian feasts in NYC, then there's nothing that's out of the ordinary. I will say that they do have a good amusement ride selection. There's a Ferris wheel, a spinny thing, and one of those pendulum things where you go swing upside down. Everything's a bit expensive though. It was like $8 to go on the wheel. A couple of food options, way-too-expensive games, and at least one adorable dog. read more

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Here is the staples - Lou ' s Clam Bar and Dee's Zeppoles. Done. Bring cash. They don't take credit card. Watch the lifting of the tower and you'll be amazed to see how many guys it takes to lift it up. It's kind of a spectacle but really amazing. I live on the block and I never miss it. I do dislike the carnies. ..they creep me out. After you are done go pay your respects at the church would ya? read more

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I lived upstairs from this so i am definitely bias BUT they had the same food trucks every 4 cars, they were so loud into the wee hours of the night and it was NOT kept clean. If this is going to happen in my neighborhood at least have the respect to pickup the trash after yourself. Maybe the city needs to support with more receptacles but the cops stood there doing NOTHINGGGGGGGGGGG the entire week. Very frustrating. read more

Long ago, before the vegan restaurants, faux-dive bars, and million dollar condos, Williamsburg was a large community of working class Italian-Americans. Today, very little of that community remains, but we still have the Giglio festival, which I believe is the oldest "feast" observed in NYC. It's similar to San Gennaro, just not as over the top and a bit smaller in scale. Admittedly, I feel that over the years the festival has been marginalized; there are more than a few bad games and vendors, but there are many nice specialty trucks, offering sandwiches, cheese, ices, pastries and meat. On one hand, I am happy that the members of Our Lady of Mount Carmel continue the tradition of the feast. In my opinion, there aren't enough street fairs, in NYC, and despite the crowds, I do enjoy myself at these events. I'll pass on the $4.00 cups of mostly ice with a hint of "lemonade," but I'll eat at least one cannoli and a zeppole or two. The lifting of the tower is always fun to see and the atmosphere is generally positive. If I there was one thing I would change, I'd like it if some of the vendors would tone down the guido/GTL/mafioso attitude and focus more on la bella figura. read more

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I haven't been to a legit "feast" like this in many years and was super excited to visit this hood and take part in the festivities and yummy food. Family vibe and lots of community spirit. Treats we partook in were pizza from Williamsburg Pizza (mmmm Brooklyn pizza!,) lemonade, and cherry Italian ices. All of it so delicious and cheap! Think I spent less than $10 for my treats. In addition to rides, games and food, there was also the famous raising of the statue. Lots of music and fanfare around that and overall, everyone was having fun and getting in the spirit. I even splurged on the official festival tank top as a souvenir from my time in Brooklyn. Great time, good food and tight knit family neighborhood vibes. Check it out if you're in the area! read more

The Williamsburg Feast of San Paolino of Nola has been taking place for over 120 years. Over 120 men lift a 5 story statue (with a band and and others on it) around the streets in front of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church. Size wise, it does not compare to the Feast of San Gennaro in Little Italy. You have your food stands, some games , t-shirts etc. I give this feast 5 stars for carrying on this special Giglio tradition. I grew up going to the Feast of San Paolino in Fairview, NJ. This Fairview feast is long gone, but the Williamsburg Giglio keeps giong and helps me, even if only temporarily, relive some of the fond memories of my youth. read more

The Giglio Feast - 2011 Giglio of Williamsburg - Festivals Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Great Food, and the dancing of the statue is a must see. Been going since I was a kid in my Brooklyn neighborhood. Better than St. Genero in Little Italy, N.Y. read more

i had a great time at the feast with my girlfriend who i invited to join me because my friend eli runs a vintage and antique stand which i sell some of my pieces through. i highly recommend this for an excellent,fun date for a old school family fair experience. Brooklyn did it!!!! read more

not traditional love for San Giglio. alcohol drinks in tge event only few people this year

How could it be that none of you have paid homage to the splendorous affair of the Giglio Festival? I'm not quite sure that I'm up for the task, but I really wanted to claim dibs on it. Immigrants from Naples, Italy (Nola, Brusciano & Berra) settled in Williamsburg long before trucker hats & post ironic irony were ever imagined on the East Coast. In 1903, Neapolitan settlers brought a little slice of tradition to the streets of Brooklyn & threw the first American Giglio festival. Without too long of a story- this is nothing short of maniacal! Imagine a 5 story hand carved Saint in a tower & a 12 piece brass band playing on a platform, all being carried on the shoulders of 125 Italian men in the hot & humid NYC summer. Now, imagine them dancing this giant chaos contraption through the streets, while some older Italian screams a broken dialect of authentic "Italiano, Brooklynese" through a megaphone. Then add some crazy ass, giant boat thing & a fake fight between these 2 separate groups that are charging at one another. It's nothing short of nuts, but it's their way of telling you the story. There's LOADS more to the story, of course, but I suggest that you research it for yourself. During the Giglio season you'll notice banners on the local houses off of Lorimer Street that correspond to the positions that the home dwellers take in the festival proceedings. It's an honor for them to be included. The priest takes to the streets on the day of the festival & sells you bread. Ask him about the history & the story behind this festival & he'll be happy to oblige. And buy some bread, huh? My fellow Italian-Americans will understand the lure of ANY Italian Feast & need only to be promised fresh zeppoles & brasiola, which they'll have alongside the tacky "Kiss Me, I'm Italian" shirts. read more

Whoa! It's an Italian street festival! I've been wanting to go check it out for a couple of years, and finally made the trek to Williamsburg. It spans several blocks and has a ton of food stands, games and rides. Truthfully, this festival would have been more fun if I had kids or was a kid, but it was still worth going to. There were tons of rides and games, no idea how much it was to play, but the prizes seemed fun; lots of giant stuffed animals of every type. It smelled so good walking around that my stomach begged me to try some food. After walking through the whole fair to get an overview of the options, I set my heart (and stomach) on the arancini vendor. It was 2 for $8 or 3 for $10, so my boyfriend and I split the 3 arancini deal. We got pesto, broccoli rabe and sausage and peppers. The best one was clearly the pesto, but they all satisfied our craving for delicious Italian food. In the middle of each one was a big, melted cube of cheese. I wish I had gotten a photo cause it was very impressive! read more

The Giglio Feast - Gigantic arancini! One pesto and one broccoli rabe - Festivals Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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The Mount Carmel Feast! This traditional feast has been going on for years. I've been coming to this feast since I was a child. It's the same every year. There's some entertainment and plenty of food and games. It was much more fun back then when I was a kid because I didn't have to pay for any of it. Now that I'm here as an adult, the stuff here ain't cheap! 6 bucks for a tiny amount of fried calamari, $7 for a very plain sausage and peppers, $10 for a dozen fried oreos that weren't very crispy. It's all been made ahead of time and been sittin on display for quite some time. It was pretty expensive. I was there probably for 10-15 minutes with my nephew and 50 bucks went down the drain. At the end of the day, I enjoy the festivities that goes on here. It's a friendly environment. There's no fights or anything like what goes on at the McCaren Park pool. There are a lot of very local and long time Brooklyn natives here. The only reason I don't come here as often is simply because of the prices they charge at each vendor. It's just a bit outrageous for today's economy. It's ballpark prices. read more

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O' giglio é paradiso! The feast is great, Brooklyn's remains pretty large even as the Harlem one (that moved to my hood of the Bronx and now back to Harlem) one is kind of getting smaller every year. In any case le feste dei gigli are probably some of the most authentic and unique italian/italo-american events. read more

I have been coming to this festival for YEARS and its always been "the Italian feast" to me. The first time I heard it called The Lady of Mount Carmel Feast, my mind was literally blown. This feast brings all of Williamsburg and Greenpoint to a few streets to make a dirty mess with grilled sausages, soft drink cups, powdered sugar from zepoles, lemons, discarded lottery tickets and more. The smells coming from this festival make my pores clog and my eyes tear; not from the awful stench but from the fond memories. They have rides here but they look fucked up. I see people putting their kids on these things... clearly, they don't love their children. For teenagers, this is the place to come decked out and score phone numbers. Girls sluttify and boys wear more hair gel and cologne than you ever thought possible. All in all, its a tradition. A tradition that makes me curse more and more as the years go by. I come early before the shit show, grab a sausage hero and a bag of zeppoles. Long live the days when they used to spike the frozen pina coladas! read more

It was okay, a neighborhood feast. A mix of old neighborhood and "new" Nothing to rave about. Crowded and smelling as you would imagine any street feast. Had zeppoles from a questionable street vendor. Got my feast fix. Probably wouldn't go back. But I won't deter you from trying it yourself :) read more

it so funny because I can never remember what this festival is called or recall when it is. I always just so happen to stumble upon it. This yr was my second time attending. I must admit the first time was the best. this time seemed a bit dull and the prizes are wack. Why does the penguin with the bugged out eyes have a belly button? creepy. First night of attendance my friend and I got some empanadas and she also got an arepa (argentina). The arepa was kinda sweet but still lacking in flavor. I got a empanada of meat and one of cheese, she ordered one of cheese and one of chicken. While both mine were edible the cheese one was better yet got me sick. Although she ordered what she wanted the lady gave here one of meat and one of chicken. She wasnt happy but it was too late to say anything. overall first day sucked. Second day (yest.) was ok, we just got an order of zepples. They were chewy and a bit soggy :( the only thing I thought would be good. smh at this year. maybe next year they can step it up and be more like the st. gennaro feast. Now thats a festival :) oh p.s PEOPLE PLEASE STOP BRINGING YOUR CHILDREN IN CARRIAGES or learn how to use them before bringing them to festival, it is highly annoying and inconvenient for(just dont). read more

It's a small feast, but it's one of my favorites because it brings the whole neighborhood together.

This is a great Italian festival not to be missed. You really should go when they are doing a lift of the giglio. It's best to get on the steps if you can so you have a good view and don't have to keep moving back as the giglio moves down the street. read more

As far as street fairs and festivals go, the attractions are pretty standard. Lots of carival games where you can win a giant rasta banana, a goldfish or a hairy beef jerky. Food stands sell sausage and peppers and overpriced but delicious zeppoles. The difference comes with the Giglio, a monolith adorned with religious and traditional meaning that is carried around a team of selected men from the neighborhood. It is this event that makes this festival special. http://www.olmcfeast.com/ read more

So much fun. Very packed though. Awesome meatball hero and sausage and peppers hero. Great zeppolies . Everyone is consider Italan at the feast. All treated like your from the neighborhood . read more

This feast is a family tradition . My father was a lifter my uncles were also lifters, and I followed in there foot steps and was a lifter. Truly one of the best Italian feasts and a tribute to the blessed mother at our home church of our lady of mt. Carmel. read more

2nd largest feast in NYC. The food is great. The entertainment even better. Lots to do. The feast is every July. See you there.