The 99th St. Peter’s Fiesta kicked off Wednesday with the annual carnival in St. Peter’s Square as community members came out for a night of classic rides, carnival food and to continue decade’s long traditions.
This year’s carnival looked very similar to years past but Fiesta Shows, the company that supplies the rides, food vendors and game concessions, brought back the Seven Seas ride after a few years’ hiatus and added some new food options.
New options included a foot-long French fry, candied fruit covered in a hard sugary syrup and sushi made to eat on the go.
But those in attendance were not just focused on being first in line for the rides or fried dough. Many reflected on Fiesta as a whole and what it means to them.
Taylor Johnson and Becky Latraberse, who called the event the Mardi Gras of Gloucester, were watching their kids go up and down on one of the carnival’s many rides. They said seeing the community come out in one place has been their favorite part of coming to Fiesta for over a decade.
“You go out in town and you see everyone that you know so it’s a great time to see people you don’t always see,” Johnson said.
And they both agreed that the off all the event’s festivities, the Greasy Pole contests are the ones not to miss.
“The Greasy Pole is one of my favorite things — I bring my friends from outside of town to see it,” Johnson said.
Gloucester teenagers Alex Rodriguez and Zaid Aldaayawi both said they enjoyed the food and the carnival’s rides but Fiesta is also been a way to connect with the community.
“It’s pretty fun,” Rodriguez said of the Warrior ride. “There are some moments in the ride where you’re really high up and you feel the nerves coming in but eventually you get used to it.”
Rodriguez said he was born and raised in the city and St. Peter’s Fiesta “means a lot.”
“Not only do I get to hang out with my friends but it’s been a part of my life for about 18 years,” he said.
For Aldaayawi, who moved to Gloucester in 2021, Fiesta has been a chance for him to branch out into the community.
“The first time I came to Fiesta it was pretty cool, I made a lot of new friends,” Aldaayawi said.
Many in attendance have been coming to Fiesta for years, including third-generation Gloucester residents Jack McKinnon and Jay Somers who were carrying out a decades-ong tradition of their own.
“Every Wednesday we walk down to Fiesta, watch the seine boat races, we get one drink at the St. Peter’s Club and we get dinner together at Oak and Ember,” McKinnon said.
He said one his favorite memories from Fiesta over the years was watching the time multi-time Greasy Pole champion Salvi Benson proved he still has what it takes.
“When everybody left he wanted to make sure everybody knew he was still the champ so he walks out to the end of it, waves, goes up and down and dives into the water,” McKinnon said.
Longtime resident Domenic Spinola brought his friend’s 8-year-old daughter Elizabeth Morency to the event to share not only the fun side, but the religious aspect as well.
“I want her to experience the Greasy Pole, the seine boat races, learn about St. Peter and how he’s the patron saint of fishermen,” Spinola said. “It’s just a tradition.”
Fiesta festivities will continue through Sunday, June 28.
Staff Writer Bobby Grady may be contacted at 978-675-2714 or bgrady@gloucestertimes.com.