CLEVELAND – Let’s face it. A big part of the Feast of the Assumption is just that, feasting. After mass at Holy Rosary, of course.
Then, you hit the streets of Cleveland‘s Little Italy and eat your way through a 1/8 of a mile of goodness. They’re expecting more than 40,000 people a day for four days.
The weather is expected to be nice so that number could get even higher.
If you need a little quiet when the crowds are so big, you might want to hang out at the patio at Guarino’s. Once you walk down the 100-year-old alley, the noise just disappears.
“It’s nice. You can kind of get away from the crowds and relax and enjoy yourselves. You can come back out to the mayhem at anytime,” said John Favorite, of Guarino’s Restaurant.
In 2021, the festival came back after being canceled because of COVID-19 in 2020. The crowd was big, but for many folks, things still just felt a little off.
Now, for this year, folks are hoping the festival will feel just like home.
Mateo Silvaggio, owner of Little Italy Wines, is offering special wine tastings if you want a break from the crowd.
He says it’s a great way for folks to sit and catch up because that’s the other big part of the feast.
“I grew up in this neighborhood. I opened a business in this neighborhood and a lot of the old friends moved out to different areas, but a lot of them come back to this festival every year,” Silvaggio said.
Right next door, sisters Patti and Toni at Topsy Turvy know that these next four days will mean a lot of work. However, it’s all worth it because not only will new customers discover them, but a lot of old friends will drop by as well.
“Over the years, for 19 years, you meet a lot of people, a lot of wonderful people and they poke their head in and say hi and it’s wonderful. It really is. It warms you heart.” Topsy Turvi Co-Owner Patti Romano said.
The Feast of the Assumption runs through Monday.
Mayfield Road from Circle Drive to Fairview Road will be shut down Friday night until 1 a.m. and Saturday through Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.