A Slice of Little Italy in Hallandale Beach

The Annual San Gennaro Feast is back for another delicious year at Gulfstream Park Village. Taking place at Pegasus Park, the food and music festival will feature a variety of food vendors, amusement rides, arts and crafts and live entertainment. Italian food lovers can enjoy some of the best Italian sausage and peppers, linguini and clams, fried calamari, pizza, shrimp scampi, zeppoles, cannolis and plenty of pasta!

Taking place March 17-20, the festival welcomes both locals and visitors alike to enjoy the best Italian eats in the open-air setting of Gulfstream’s Iconic Pegasus Park.

On opening night only, the festival will be offering one free parent wristband with the purchase of a child’s unlimited ride wristband. Tickets will be available at the door or for advance purchase. To learn more and purchase tickets, please visit: sangennarofeast.com. The ticket cost is $12 for adults and seniors, $5 for children 3 to 15 plus tax, free for children under 2.

When:
March 17-20, 2022
Thurs., March 17: 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm
Fri., March 18: 11:00 am to midnight
Sat., March 19: 11:00 am to midnight
Sun., March 20: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm

Where:
Pegasus Park at Gulfstream Park Village
901 South Federal Highway
Hallandale Beach, FL 33009

History of San Gennaro
Saint Gennaro was Bishop of Benevento, Italy and died a martyr in 305 AD during the persecution spearheaded by Emperor Diocletian. He signed his death warrant when he visited the deacons, Sosso and Proculo and the laymen, Eutichete and Acuzio, in jail. The Proconsul, Timothy, had Gennaro arrested. He underwent torture without wavering in his resolution to remain loyal to Christ. He was thrown headlong into a furnace, but by the grace of God, he came through unscathed. Furious, the agents beheaded him. His body and the severed head still dripping blood were gathered up by an old man who wrapped them reverently in a cloth. An old Neapolitan lady collected the blood with a sponge and filled a phial with the precious liquid.

San Gennaro eventually became the patron saint of Naples, in whose cathedral two ampoules are preserved with a liquid in the solid state, which tradition says was the saint's blood and that melts three times a year. According to legend, the blood of San Gennaro liquefied for the first time in the fourth century A.D. during the transfer of the Saint's remains to Naples, but the first documented report of the ampoule containing the blood relic dates only from 1389. The Chronicon Siculum mentioned that during the celebrations for the feast of the Assumption, there was a public display of the phials containing the "blood of San Gennaro" and on the 17th of August, during the procession, the liquid in the ampoule melted.

The body of Saint Gennaro is preserved in Naples, where he is honored as the city's principal patron. The Neapolitans pray to him for protection from fires, earthquakes, plagues, droughts and the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. In every emergency Saint Gennaro is their powerful champion and universal helper.

History of Feast of San Gennaro in the United States
The Feast of San Gennaro is a fair held in mid-September in Little Italy, New York. The heart of the festival is on Mulberry Street and is characterized by parades, games and the typical sellers of sausages and donuts. The celebration begins with a religious procession that starts from the oldest church in the Italian neighborhood. At the same time, a similar festival begins in the Italian neighborhood of the Bronx. The festivities begin early in the morning and continue until late at night, ending 11 days later.

If you would like to experience the San Gennaro Feast tradition for yourself, you will not have to travel to Little Italy or Naples. Fortunately, The San Gennaro Feast is coming to South Florida at Pegasus Park at Gulfstream Park Village. The Feast will be held March 17-20. For more information and to purchase tickets in advance, visit: www.sangennarofeast.com

About Gulfstream Park
Gulfstream Park is South Florida’s premier entertainment, dining and restaurant destination, located between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, anchored by the legendary Gulfstream Park Racetrack. Gulfstream Park not only offers world-class Tho-roughbred horse racing but is also home to a casino and family-friendly venues including over 15 restaurants, outdoor cafes, art galleries, fashion retailers, state-of-the-art bowling alley and a renowned selection of signature home stores. Gulfstream Park, voted a 2020 Top Travelers' Choice Winner by TripAdvisor, is located at 901 South Federal Highway in Hallandale Beach, Florida, just two miles east of I-95. Valet service and complimentary self-parking are available. Gulfstream Park is open seven days a week. For hours, schedules, upcoming events and additional info, visit: www.gulfstreampark.com or call: 954-454-7000.