August 30, 2009 - St. Rosalia Feast - Utica, NY

Sadly the St. Rosalia Feast is down to the bare bones. Instead of a 3-day weekend, it was celebrated on Sunday morning and afternoon.

One block was still closed off - but there were no little vendor booths, no bandstand, no strings of green, white, and red lights hanging over the street.

Instead of a Grand Procession through the streets of East Utica, where we would stop to say the Prayer and scatter Rose petals at the many homes that were decorated with St. Rosalia posters and Rosaries on Blankets - we escorted the St. Rosalia Statue from the Chapel to the Church. After Mass we followed St. Rosalia around the block back to the Chapel. We had time to play only three songs and say two Prayers.

For the Concert we setup our chairs on the sidewalk under a tree. We had a good-sized audience. They enjoyed the music and the Pizza Frite was sold out during our second set.
It started to sprinkle just after our break and there were thunder-head clouds all around us - but St. Rosalia seemed to Bless us. The clouds blew over and the sun was back out before the concert was over!

VIVA LA BANDA ROSSA!!
Please click on the link below for more photos
St. Rosalia Feast