Saint Peters Fiesta

For the crowded streets and godawful street food in the name of Saint Peter, and for the hard-​knock sense of community shared by Gloucester Sicilians, and (of course) for the spectacle that is Greasy Pole, I wholeheartedly endorse road tripping for SPF.
A more spread out version of any given weekend in the North End, the fest revolves around the parading of an ikon through the docked streets of G-​town, lubricated with more booze than you can shake a funnel cake at.
The real draw? A legendary contest known as Greasy Pole, where contestants deck out in costume and attempt to slip’n’slide their way across a slicked-​up telephone pole to grab the flag at the end. Yep, that’s it — but the most simple of challenges is rife with rules, traditions and customs that must be abided by, lest you meet the explanatory fists of Anthony «Matza» Giambanco, the game’s enforcer.
You’re not going to make a ton of friends, but you’ll hear some seriously tasty stories, making St. Peter’s Fiesta absolutely worth the drive.