The Feast of the Assumption is a parish festival that takes over Cleveland’s Little Italy with plenty of food and wine. You should not wear white at this festival.
2023 DATE: August 12-15, 2023
Location: 12021 Mayfield Rd
Cleveland, OH 44106
Website: https://holy-rosary.org/schedule-of-events
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I first wrote about the Feast of the Assumption back in 2010, when I put a little emphasis on the (mis)spelling of Italian words on food booth signs (the photo above is not an example of this).
You can read that review here at https://ohiofestivals.net/44-feast-of-the-assumption-cleveland-august-14-2010/
This post documents my experience on August 16, 2015.
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I returned to Little Italy early on a Sunday…
…hoping to beat the festival crowds brought in by the new RTA stop and the fantastic weather.
I made my way up Mayfield Road…
…passed the Holy Rosary Church…
…and joined the hungry masses at the Feast of the Assumption.
The Feast of the Assumption is all about food*…
…with particular emphasis given to cavatelli and meatball…
…pizza…
…and sausage sandwiches…
…none of which I was in the mood to eat.
Fortunately, I had plenty of options.
I considered stuffed eggplant or gnocchi, maybe even some artichoke…
…but then I learned that Maxi’s had frog legs and tripe…
…and I was sold.
Also, since I didn’t want to eat while standing on the sidewalk…
…in the street…
…or along the curbside…
…I was able to eat at their back patio and enjoy my lunch with ease.
Pulling festival goers off the street was important for area businesses…
…and festival goers appreciated the patio seating…
…and feelings of exclusivity…
…not-to-mention air-conditioning…
…at a fest that could get rather crowded, hot and unbearable.
In order to help digest all those carbs, there was a park with a playground…
…and some fun shopping opportunities for Italian apparel…
…as well as for religious items…
…and even some gambling (more about that later).
Then, when ready, you could finish off your meal with some Italian ice, gelato…
…cookies…
…cannoli a-plenty…
…and Cleveland cassata cake.
For those unfamiliar with Cleveland’s Little Italy, Mario recommends the Cassata at Corbo’s…
…and Presti’s is also a popular place to get baked goods as well.
I decided to check out the dessert at the church…
…where homemade cookies and a shot of espresso were exactly what I wanted.
In fact, the church had its own sort of private festival…
…with a full menu from the cavatelli to the tiramisu…
…a beer truck…
…rides…
…games…
…a tent with musical entertainment…
…instant bingo…
…and a magical gambling wheel…
…where I became once…
…twice…
…and three times lucky.
* = although eating is a main reason that most people go to the festival, it’s REALLY about the Virgin Mary being risen into Heaven. You just have to show up at the right time for that part.