St. Anthony’s Italian Festival, which runs through Sunday, has been an enduring Wilmington tradition for nearly 50 years.
It started in 1974 in a six-block area around St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church at Ninth and Du Pont streets. When the red, white and green banners are raised in the streets surrounding the church, locals know the festival is about to begin.
While some aspects of the eight-day festival have changed over the years — there is now an admission fee, the fireworks have long fizzled and restaurants now cook some of the food, rather than church parishioners — the June carnival celebrating Italian culture and food still is considered by many to be a Delaware rite of summer.
Its hours this week are 6 to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday; 4 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
Here’s a look at the festival through the years.
