Our Lady of Mount Carmel dances the Giglio for its 138th year!
How do you know you’ve become a North Brooklynite?
According to Sex and the City’s Carrie Bradshaw it takes ten years of living in NYC to become a New Yorker. A Reddit thread claims this can be between two years–seven years or when you’ve thrown your first slice of pizza at a celebrity. However, do real New Yorkers waste a good slice?
But as far as this neighborhood goes I’d say at least seven years. Although, there is a fast forward: when you go to your first Our Lady of Mount Carmel (OLMC) Feast (aka the Giglio). This is because the Giglio is a core identifier of this neighborhood and a physical reminder of the Italian presence that was elemental to the early days of the community — not to lessen the other founding ethnicities that established Williamsburg and Greenpoint; it’s that the spotlight is on the Giglio, which was brought by the Italian immigrants who settled here.
On July 9–July 20 Havemeyer Street from North 9th Street to North 5th Street and the side streets from Meeker to Roebling will be filled with rides, games, booths with delicious food (mostly Italian, but there are other options). Oh and people, these streets will be filled with people — around 80K visited the feast in 2024. Most visit during Giglio Sunday (July 13, 1:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.) when the 70-feet tall Giglio tower is carried through the streets by over one hundred men to meet the Turk’s boat holding the Turk and his crew, also carried on the backs of men.
The OLMC Feast launches the evening of July 9 (7 p.m.) and continues through July 20. Other highlights are the Children’s Giglio (July 10 from 6:30 p.m.–10:30 p.m.), Giglio Sunday (July 13, 1:30 p.m.–5:30 p.m.), the Giglio Night Lift (July 17 at 7:30 p.m.), and Old Timers Giglio Sunday (July 20 at 2 p.m.).
The Greenline 