Ferragosto 2026 ~ A Day at the Beach

Ferragosto 2026

Ciao Tutti!

Buon Ferragosto!

Today, August 15 is traditionally the day Italians celebrate Ferragosto. You may be asking yourself, what is Ferragosto? No worries researching that - Anthony On The Ave will do that for you!

History of Ferragosto

This special day began in the Roman Empire in 18 BC by Caesar Augustus. The original festival was on the first day of the month, which was named by the famous emperor for himself - August. The original Latin term is Feriae Agusti - meaning festival or rest period. The purpose of this holiday was the allowance of rest for agricultural workers at the time. In the 5th century, as Catholicism came to dominate the culture in Italy, Ferragosto was moved to August 15 and made in honor of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, the mother of Jesus Christ.

In 1925 and under the fascist rule of Benito Mussolini, Ferragosto took on a somewhat different path when the government implemented trips to the coasts and mountains of Italy for workers. These trips were very organized. For example, the government would permit one day of travel for those going within a 100km radius and up to three days travel for those going within a 200km radius. The idea was to reward workers and promote these beautiful areas of Italy.

Ferragosto Today

Ferragosto is no longer on the 15th of August, but rather in the period around the Feast of the Assumption. Italians take vacation, close their businesses (if they are able) and go to their beautiful beaches. Some beautiful beaches that come to mind are in Sicily, Sardegna, along the coastline of Puglia, around the Amalfi Coast and in places like Terracina or Sperlonga, which are south of Rome (on the Mediterranean coast.)

Italians also use this time to spend time with family and friends, have barbecues with a lot of food and pass the time outdoors. Some towns have festivals and throw off fireworks at night. Cities like Rome and Florence basically empty out, so a good time for tourists to go when these places are not busy. 

In the United States, there are many Italian festivals in the cities and neighborhoods this weekend. Some are tied directly to Ferragosto and some are not. Here are a few:

• Boston’s North End has the annual “Fisherman’s Feast,” celebrating Madonna del Soccorso (Our Lady of Help)

• Federal Hill, which is Providence, Rhode Island’s “Little Italy,” is hosting a Summer Festival 

• Baltimore’s “Little Italy” is celebrating “Light up Little Italy - Feast of St. Gabriel”

• The Bloomfield section of Pittsburgh is hosting “Little Italy Days”

• Cleveland is hosting the “Feast of the Assumption”

• Taylor Street, which is the “Little Italy” of Chicago is throwing a “Street Party”

• San Pedro, California and Toronto, Canada has “Ferragosto” festivals

• Montreal, Canada has been partying at “Italfest,” which concludes tomorrow

You may be asking, what is Anthony On The Ave doing on Ferragosto? I am celebrating like the Italians and hanging out on the beach in my hometown of beautiful Sea Bright, New Jersey. Today is a top 10 gorgeous day with no clouds and very low humidity. It’s actually the best beach day of the year, in my opinion. The beach is pretty crowded, the town is very crowded and the ocean looks amazing. 

But don’t fret! While I am taking this weekend to relax on the beach with friends and visit with family, I will be back on the Ave in the coming weeks as the Italian festivals continue on. Stay tuned for the Sicilian Feast of St. Rosalia in Brooklyn and my personal favorite - the Feast of St. Anthony in Boston!

Enjoy some pictures of beautiful Sea Bright and Italy!

Buona Festa!

Anthony On The Ave