Viva San Pietro!

Celebrate Fiesta with film, photography, sculpture and more

Fiesta-inspired art will be on display in the lower level atrium from Tuesday, June 23 through Sunday, June 28 during Museum hours*. Drawing on the Museum’s own collection, along with private collections in the area, the exhibit includes works by New York artist Philip Reisman who worked in Gloucester during the 1940s and 1950s, painters Lucette White and Eileen Mueller who captured the color and excitement of Fiesta in more recent years, and collage artist and sculptor Hans Pundt. Two documentary films about Fiesta will be available for viewing on a continuous loop throughout the week. Related exhibits and information can be found in the Museum’s Maritime Galleries. This celebration is free for members or with Museum admission.

*Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

St. Peter’s Fiesta – Festa di San Pietro – honors St. Peter, the patron saint of fishermen. It is the largest and most colorful of the celebrations that Sicilian immigrants brought to Gloucester. The tradition of celebrating Fiesta began in Gloucester the late 1920s as a neighborhood novena and expanded to a city-wide event in the 1930s. Fiesta is still celebrated in Gloucester in late June, with four days of music, dancing, parades, fireworks, seine boat races and the traditional greasy pole competition. On the last day of Fiesta, an outdoor Mass is held, followed by the blessing of Gloucester’s fishing fleet.