And what a lovely day it was on the second day of the festival when the rain stopped and the sun came out. Not too hot and not too cold. So crowded that if you fainted, the people packed around you would probably hold you up. But everyone was cheerful and polite. Lots of dogs, lots of kids, and food and music.
Sarcone’s Bakery and Ralph’s Italian Restaurant have graced South 9th Street for more than 100 years.
But there are some newcomers to the area. A century ago, the merchants in the market came mostly from Italy. Today, they are joined by immigrants from Cambodia and Mexico.
The highlight of the festival is the greased pole climb, where some plucky (or very foolish) young men attempt to scale a 30-foot high metal pole that is greased with lard. The object is to reach the prizes dangling from the top: cheeses, sausages and, presumably, envelopes of money sufficient to cover any medical bills. The greased pole climb went on hiatus for a few years, I’m sure because of insurance issues, but it’s back and more popular than ever.
Pole climbing, which seems to be endemic in Philadelphia during sports celebrations, is actually an old tradition which can be traced back to Celtic times. Some Pagan-style revelry certainly adds to the fun. The greased pole climb, known as the Albero della Cuccgna, or Cockaigne tree, has a rich tradition not limited to Italy. Which goes to show you that youths’ propensity to take senseless risks knows no borders.
At any rate, greased pole climbing is definitely a team effort. The heavier and stronger guys form a burly base at the bottom and increasingly lighter and more agile guys scramble up their backs with towels to wipe the lard off the pole so they can brace themselves around it so even lighter and more agile guys can scramble up their backs and snatch the cheese and cash. If you are interested in how the pros manage to scale these greased poles and grab the goodies, click here and here.
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