Two popular Little Italy festivals will merge into one event this year, as Light Up Little Italy and the Feast of St. Gabriel join to create an expanded three-day festival the weekend of Aug. 14–16, 2026.
The Light Up Little Italy Feast of St. Gabriel Festival celebrates the heritage, culture, faith, and traditions of the historic Little Italy neighborhood. This newly combined event is an immersive experience with authentic food, live entertainment, artisan vendors, and a five-course dinner with the Chefs of Little Italy, Baltimore.
Visitors can delight in creatures in costumes at the Ferragosto Pet Pageant and other beloved traditions that have long made the Feast of St. Gabriel a community cornerstone. The pageant’s $5 entry fee will be donated to BARCS animal shelter. There will be the traditional blessing and processional of St. Gabriel, a bocce tournament, family activities, and a meatball and sausage eating contest…