South 9th Street Italian Market Festival

2023 Highlights

Food & Drink
Mangia! It’s all about the food at the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival:

• Enjoy two days filled with grab-and-go Italian American delicacies (think: pizza, pasta, cannoli, roast pork, sausage and peppers, and more) as well as fare from many of the excellent Mexican, South American and Asian restaurants in the area.
• Looking for a sit-down experience? Many nearby restaurants extend their table service to the sidewalk so visitors can dine alfresco and enjoy the festival atmosphere.
• And of course, plenty of soft drinks and adult beverages are on offer to quench your thirst.

  — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

Art, Entertainment & Competitions

Besides chowing down, there’s lots more to see and do along Ninth Street all weekend long:

• Get creative at the festival’s Artisinal Fine Arts & Crafts Show, featuring handcrafted jewelry, clothing, sculptures, wood crafts and many more works available for purchase.
• Dance off a few of those calories in front of two performance stages (on Washington Avenue and on Christian Street), where DJs and local bands pump out the tunes all day.
• Witness feats of strength (or sign up to participate yourself!) in the greased-pole-climbing competition, where teammates work together to climb to the top of a lard-covered pole to retrieve meats, cheeses and other prizes.
• Several other tournaments and contests take place at the festival, namely: the annual John Marzano Halfball Tournament, with a lineup of the city’s top players (May 20-21, 2023); the brand new Philly Cheesesteak of the Year Contest, featuring steaks from some of the city’s top sandwich-makers (Saturday, May 20, 2023); and the 2023 Cornhole Open Tournament, open to all ages and skill levels (Sunday, May 21, 2023).

Procession of Saints

A Roman-Catholic tradition in many areas of Italy and Mexico, the Procession of Saints in Philadelphia dates back to at least the 1920s. During the procession, statues of saints and religious figures are carried through the streets by members of the community.

This year’s Procession of Saints takes place on Sunday, May 21, 2023 at 11 a.m. as part of the festival.

The procession starts at the historic Saint Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi Church, pauses for a blessing of the market at Ninth and Washington streets, proceeds north along Ninth to Christian Street, and concludes at St. Paul Catholic Church.

Getting There

The South 9th Street Italian Market Festival is a free event with pay-as-you-go food and drinks.

Street parking near the Italian Market is tight even on a non-festival day, so if driving is a must, aim for one of the nearby parking lots, including lots at 7th & Christian Streets and 7th & Fitzwater Streets.

  — Photo by Visit Philadelphia

For everyone else, public transportation is the way to travel. Attendees can get to the festival via a number of SEPTA bus routes or by hopping on the Broad Street Line and getting off at either the Lombard-South or Ellsworth-Federal stations. From there, the Italian Market is just a short walk east.

For more information about the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival, including a list of participating vendors, scheduled events and more, click the button below.