Mangia, Music, & Meatballs: 5 Reasons to Go Full Italiano at the St. Anthony’s Festival

Listen, I don’t need an excuse to spend an entire weekend eating carbs, dancing in the street, and pretending I have a long-lost Nonna named Rosa who’s watching over me with a wooden spoon, but if I did? The St. Anthony’s Festival in Cortland on June 13-14, 2026 would be it.

It’s two glorious days 50 Pomeroy St, in Cortland NY turns into a Italian-American celebration! Here are my top five reasons to lean in, mangia hard, and maybe leave with powdered sugar all over your shirt. To visit the official website click here.

Let’s not play coy: you came for the pizza, and you'll stay for the pizza fritta. Imagine hot, golden fried dough dusted with sugar and paired with a scoop of gelato that melts just enough to make it slightly sinful. That’s amore. But the fried bliss is just the beginning.

Expect classic pizza in all its forms: plain, pepperoni, and loaded,  along with cheesy, comforting bean and greens, with so much garlic you'll be sure to keep the vampires at bay. The tomato pie will make you weep, and don’t even get me started on the meatball subs! Stuffed shells, sausage with peppers and onions, and the sweet, sweet smell of marinara in the air round out the savory offerings.

And yes, there are hot dogs, but frankly, if that’s your move at an Italian festival, we need to talk. Finish strong with a dolci lineup that includes gelato, cannoli, and other Italian pastries that look too pretty to eat, but don’t let that stop you.

What's an Italian festival without a little music to accompany your meatball sub? The St. Anthony Festival keeps the good times rolling all weekend with live performances on both the Main Stage and Piccolo Stage.

Saturday Evening | June 13

• 5:30-6:30 pm — Steve Daniel's Swingtet (Piccolo Stage)
• 7:00-8:00 pm — Fall Creek Brass Band (Armando Natale Main Stage)
• 8:30-9:30 pm — Fall Creek Brass Band (Armando Natale Main Stage)

Sunday Afternoon | June 14

• 12:00-1:00 pm — Cortland High School Modern Band
• 1:30-2:30 pm — Finger Lakes Saxophone Quartet
• 2:30-3:00 pm — Joey Nigro and John Nelson (Piccolo Stage)
• 3:00-4:00 pm — Cantare
• 4:00-4:30 pm — Joey Nigro and John Nelson (Piccolo Stage)
• 4:30-6:00 pm — Old Timers Band
• 6:00 pm — The Big Raffle Drawing

From jazz and brass bands to local favorites and community performers, there's plenty of live entertainment to enjoy between trips to the food tent. Just don't blame me if you find yourself dancing with a cannoli in one hand and a sausage sandwich in the other.

Is there anything more romantic than fireworks over a festival while holding hands with your bestie and a half-eaten meatball sub? No. No, there is not.

The fireworks go off at 9:30pm on Saturday. It's a show so good it will make you want to dramatically yell “Viva Sant’Antonio!” into the night sky.

Sunday afternoon features a traditional procession honoring Saint Anthony, complete with music, flowers, and more adorable children in matching outfits than your camera roll can handle. It’s sweet. It’s sincere. It might just restore your faith in humanity (or at least in community festivals).

If you’re a competitive spirit with a sweet tooth, I present to you: The Cake Wheel. You spin, you win, you eat cake. It’s a ruckus.

There are kids’ games, face painting, and caricature drawing Sunday from 12:30–6pm, plus revamped games for older kids and teens. For the grown-ups? The Prize Wheel is spinning Saturday from 4–10pm, and the Basket Raffle runs Sunday afternoon, so plan accordingly and wear your lucky socks.

The St. Anthony’s Festival is the kind of weekend that reminds you why small-town traditions matter...and also that you can, in fact, eat gelato twice in one day if you pace yourself. Whether you’re Italian by blood or by appetite, Cortland’s celebration of Saint Anthony is a joyful, musical, meatball-filled masterpiece. See you there, preferably near the sausage cart. For more info visit saintanthonysfestival.org or click here.

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