By Anne White
St. Roch’s is perhaps the parish which most reflects the history and nature of Greenwich as celebrated by their annual festival.
Over a thousand members of the community from all walks of life gather to celebrate a festival that’s as much about community as it is about faith, food, and fun. This year, from August 9th to the 12th, the St. Roch’s festival is back, promising more excitement than ever before. The feast opens at 6pm Wednesday and closes at 10pm Saturday. Wednesday night is James Daniel Music DJ; Thursday The Breakers band; Friday Sun Kings band; Saturday Gino Belmonte Pane e Cioccolato Band.
Paul Cappiali, a longtime organizer of the festival, may initially downplay his role, describing himself as merely a “volunteer.” However, as he describes the event, his deep-rooted passion for this communal gathering radiates from his every word. “It is a massive amount of work,” Cappiali admits, “But we have a lot of fun.”This year, the festival has a committee of more than 15 dedicated volunteers, including First Selectman Fred Camillo, who wanted to be involved in the event. Additionally, Hartford was disinclined to give them a church, they took matters into their own hands, he said. Raising their own funds, they built the church and then offered it to the Diocese in exchange for a priest.
“Here’s something people may not know,” reports First Selectman Fred Camillo. “If you go in the church, there is a church window, it says, ‘Donated by three friends.’ The three friends are my cousin, Al Moreno, Joseph P.Kennedy, and Clare Boothe Luce.”
It is this historic backdrop in the heat of August, when summer’s warmth blankets the town that the scent of grilling peppers mixes with the humid air, and the community of St. Roch’s bustles with activity.
For attendees, the festival offers a smorgasbord of culinary delights. While traditional Italian favorites such as ‘pizza fritta’ and sausage and pepper wedges area mainstay, the festival caters to a broader palate. The Latino food tent has been a popular feature for the past four years, serving delicious offerings like chorizo tacos (Cappiali’s favorite) and street corn.
New this year, a vendor will bring more carnival rides than ever before, all state-inspected. Among the fairground staples like the Ferris wheel and the Sizzler, there will also be smaller rides for kids and traditional games like water pistol challenges and dart throws.
The atmosphere of revelry is heightened by live bands every night, contributing to a lively and vibrant ambiance that is as invigorating as it is welcoming.
To give back to the local community, on Saturday, the festival opens two hours early for children from the Hamilton Avenue School to enjoy free rides. “We want to make sure everybody has fun,” Cappiali says, further extending the invitation to social service organizations such as Abilis, Kids in Crisis, and Barbara’s House.
Despite the evolution of the festival over the years, Cappiali stresses the importance of maintaining its traditional roots.“Our feast is always during this time in August, as close to August 16th as we can possibly get, because that is the celebration day for the Patron Saint Roch,” he explains.
He takes pride in the fact that St. Roch’s is one of the few parishes that still carry out the procession, a tradition that has lost its appeal in the United States but is still cherished in Italy, Spain, and South America. For Cappiali and the others involved, this event is a means to honor their forefathers, the stonemasons who built the church.
Furthermore, in the lead-up to the church’s hundred-year anniversary in 2028, the community has been striving to maintain the church so it lasts for another hundred years with a strong foundation for future generations. “We repointed the church last year, it was a $1.2million job,” shares Cappiali.
To help cover the expenses, the festival concludes with the much-anticipated St. Roch raffle at 11pm on Saturday night.
Cappiali and FitzPatrick paint a vibrant picture of an event that carries an unmistakable mark of tradition and local legacy. The festival is a testament to community spirit, an enduring tribute to tradition, and an indelible memory for all who attend.
“The Feast has long been a way in which Chickahominy celebrates its unique nature, not separate from Greenwich, but unique, and its history and its roots,” says FitzPatrick.
“It’s a celebration of Greenwich, really,” FitzPatrick explained. “It’s fun, simple family entertainment, which we don’t have a lot of.”
In a time when traditions often fall to the wayside, the St. Roch’s Feast and Festival stands as a testament to the power of community, tradition, and the determination to keep them alive.Asked why he loves the feast so much, FitzPatrick says clearly, “It’s the wonder years all over again.”
Camillo too shared his memories and love for the St. Roch’s Festival. He recounted the history of how the St. Roch’s community came from another country and established themselves in one part of the town, eventually building a church that now serves as a unifying symbol for multiple ethnic groups living in the area.
His fond memories of the festival are deeply rooted in his childhood experiences, from his grandmother making pizza fritta, that can be enjoyed with sugar or gravy and cheese, to his continued involvement in the festival as an adult. He pointed out the importance of the festival as a yearly tradition and a way to giveback to the community.
There’s a strong feeling of unity and tradition in the St. Roch’s community and the festival, making it a truly unique cultural event. Despite the changing times, the festival has remained a symbol of community solidarity and the rich Italian heritage in Greenwich.
