My View of Life on the Dock
Greasy Pole Walkers and the Fiesta Families are the most fun and beautiful to photograph and to film. Thank you so very much for a wonderful week of friendship, fun, photographing, and filming. This week I hope so much to have time to look at the footage of Derrick Hopkins and post his three winning walks. Viva San Pietro!
Anticipation
Favorite moment from Fiesta 2014 ❤
The rain held off for a glorious Fiesta Sunday with family and friends processing through downtown, from Saint Peter’s Square to the Saint Peter’s Club. Viva San Pietro!
Faith, Family, and Friends –
Showering Sara with love and confetti ❤
Sara Favazza is the daughter and tenth child of Captain Salvatore Favazza and Maria Lucido Favazza. Salvatore Favazza commissioned the original Saint Peter’s statue in 1926 and in 1927, Gloucester celebrated its first Saint Peter’s Fiesta.
For our awesome Ward One City Councilor Scott Memhard –
With three flawless walks, eighteen-year-old Gloucester ‘Farm Boy’ Derrick Hopkins sweeps the Greasy Pole competition Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Only one other walker, Jake Wood, has won three consecutive competitions. As announcers Tom Favazza, Al Millefoglie and Jimmy Tarantino joked, “he could have walked all the way to the Boulevard.”
Derrick’s Dad Rich Hopkins came out of retirement to walk with his son.
Saturday’s winning walk
Friday’s winning walk
Friday’s winning walk
More photos tomorrow 🙂
Derrick Hopkins took the flag for two consecutive wins, joining only a handful of Greasy Pole walkers to do same. As he did in both courtesy rounds and his win on Friday night, he seamlessly walked the walk. Odds are he may take the flag tomorrow night, too.
Thunder clouds passed overhead threatening the sporting events. Most of the afternoon was cloudy with a few raindrops but just after Derrick’s amazing win, the sun burst through the clouds. Viva San Pietro!
You saw it first here folks! The unveiling of the Crazy Hat Ladies! Nothing short of amazing per usual!
VIVA!
Congratulation to Backlash, Your 2019 Women’s Seine Boat Champions!
Congratulations to Derrick for a fantastic win! Derrick’s Dad also won and the two make only one of four father and son wins!
More photos tomorrow 🙂
Thank you to the Fiesta Novena Ladies for all they do to create the beautiful novena to Saint Peter.
Faye Quinlan, Joanne Aiello, Caryn Ryder, Jean Linquata, Rosie Verga, Anne Sanfilippo, and Grace Cusumano
They are also superb cake testers, and lots of fun ❤
The delicious Buona Festa cakes served the last night of the novena are courtesy of Caffe Sicilia
Photos from Tuesday night’s procession from the American Legion Hall to Beach Court to return Saint Peter to the Saint Peter’s Club until the official Fiesta opening ceremony on Friday evening.
Thank you to the Saint Peter’s Fiesta Novena Ladies and the Saint Peter’s Fiesta Committee for a beautiful novena. Buona Festa!
Photos from the second to last night of the beautiful novena to Saint Peter
These three ladies lead the congregants in the Italian songs sung nightly. Left to right are Grace Taormina, Eleanor Mortallaro, and Josephine Russo
PLAYTIME STORIES CELEBRATES FIESTA WITH A LIVE PERFORMANCE OF
LAURA M. ALBERGHINI VENTIMIGLIA’S
NONNA, WHAT IS ST. PETER’S FIESTA?
ON JUNE 29 AT GLOUCESTER STAGE COMPANY
A Live Fiesta Theater Performance for Young Audience Members Age 2 and Older
and An Opportunity to Meet the Author
Gloucester Stage Company proudly announces a special Playtime Stories event celebrating St. Peter’s Fiesta with a live performance of Laura M. Alberghini Ventimiglia’s NONNA, WHAT IS ST. PETER’S FIESTA? on Saturday, June 29 at 10 am at Gloucester Stage, 267, East Main Street, Gloucester. An engaging combination of children’s stories and live performances for ages 2 and older, Playtime Stories offers young children the unique opportunity to experience the fun and magic of live theater as they watch their favorite books come to life onstage. To celebrate Fiesta on Saturday, June 29 the Playtime Stories Company will read and perform Gloucester resident Laura M. Alberghini Ventimiglia’s new book, NONNA, WHAT IS ST. PETER’S FIESTA? and Tomie dePaola’s STREGA NONA. Following the performance audience members will be invited to join the Playtime Stories Company in fun and interactive workshops and crafts relating to the story. On June 30 audience members can craft their own Seine boat and participate in Playtime Stories Seine Boat Races at GSC and make their own Fish magnets.
Playtime Stories is pleased to welcome special guest author Laura M. Alberghini Ventimiglia to sign copies of her new book which will be available for sale. According to Youth Acting Workshop Director and Teacher Heidi Dallin, ” We are honored to have Laura at this Playtime Stories special event to celebrate Fiesta for the second year in a row. She is an inspiration to our audiences and the young performers in the Playtime Stories Company. Last year’s Fiesta Playtime Stories was standing room only – the biggest audience we have had in Playtime Stores history! The actors and I could not wait to bring Laura’s story back this year. NONNA, WHAT IS ST. PETER’S FIESTA? is now a Playtime Stories tradition. ”
Each Saturday from June 29 through August 17 the Playtime Stories Company, consisting of veteran members of the Gloucester Stage Youth Acting Workshop program and special guest narrators perform a children’s story against the backdrop of the story’s illustrations as well as create a dynamic weekly series of interactive events related to the story. “We have had a great response to the Playtime Stories program over the past four summers, ” points out Dallin, ” It is a terrific way for YAW to reach out to younger audiences to spark their excitement in live performance. Many of the veteran YAW students in the Playtime Stories Company have been involved in the YAW program since they were 5 years old and now they will inspire the next generation of YAW students!”
Playtime Stories explores different stories ranging from classic fairy tales to new stories to works by local authors. The Playtime Stories season consists of July 13: MAGIC 101: The Magic Tree House: Stage Fright on a Summer Night and The Magic School Bus: Inside a Beehive ; July 20: A DELIGHTFUL DAY of Dr. SEUS: The Lorax and Horton Hears a Who; July 27: MYSTERY MAYHEM: Scooby-Doo and Where’s Mommy?; August 3: FANTASTIC BEASTS AND WHERE TO READ ABOUT THEM: Where the Wild Things Are and Pegasus, the Flying Horse; August 10: BONJOUR! ADVENTURES IN FRANCE: Madeline and The Little Prince; and August 17: SUMMER FINALE: Eric Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Very Quiet Cricket; and Judith Viorist’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
All Playtime Story performances are held at 10 am at Gloucester Stage, 267 East Main Street, Gloucester, MA. Admission is $5 for one child (includes one free adult). Free coffee and donuts provided by Jim’s Bagel and Bake Shoppe. For more information or tickets, call the Gloucester Stage Box Office at 978-281-4433 or visit http://www.gloucesterstage.com
Playtime Stories Cast members with Author Laura M. Alberghini Ventimiglia and Translator Diletta Ballati at Gloucester Stage Photo by Heidi
Good Morning Gloucester 