The 2026 marks an extraordinary milestone for the Italian-American community: the 100 years of the Hoboken Italian Festival, the longest and most felt celebration of Italian culture in the United States. Organized by the Society Madonna dei Martiri in America, the festival, supported by New York, is the symbol of an indissoluble bond between Hoboken and Molfetta, between those who left and who remained, between past and future.
Founded by the first Apulian emigrants – in particular by the large Molfettese community – the Society has never stopped cultivating values, relationships and traditions. With meetings, events and a tireless teamwork, he kept the Italian identity in the heart of New Jersey, making it alive and vibrant for the new generations.
The celebrations will begin with the appointment of the “Annual Gala” of March 21, (previously sold out) or “Dinner Dance” hosted in the prestigious frame of the Macaluso’s by Hawthorne (NJ). The theme chosen for the centenary edition is inspired by the charm of the Great Gatsby, symbol of the American Dream: a tribute to the hope, ambition and complexity of the migration path.
During the evening will be officially presented the new leadership of the two historical organizations:
• Len De Pinto and Nick Latino will lead the Society Madonna dei Martiri in USA• Gennaro Cappelluti, already Honorary President, and Paolo De Sario, column leading for over 50 years, will be the new references of the Hoboken Italian Festival
Both associations are enrolled in the Apulian Alps in the World of the Puglia Region, witnessing their cultural and identity.
A bridge of devotion between the shores of the Atlantic. «The emotions that are experienced by participating in this Molfettese tradition in the States are unique: a lot of faith, a lot of work and a great heart”, says Roberto Pansini, President of the Oll Muvi Association – known worldwide with the brand I Love Molfetta – and International Ambassador of the Society Madonna dei Martiri di Hoboken.
For over 20 years, Oll Muvi has been recounting and promoting this extraordinary event in the United States, helping to strengthen the link between the Molfette community in the world. “It’s something unique,” says Pansini, who relaunches the invitation to participate in the festivities of September: “We are sure that this year a large group from Molfetta will fly to America to be present at this historic event”.
In 2026 also Molfetta celebrates with renewed enthusiasm its patron, San Corrado. The patronal festivals, led by the new president Mauro Balestra, see the active involvement of a group of young people who, in synergy with the most experienced members, are giving rise to a rich, dynamic and deeply felt program.
This year’s great news is the symbolic embrace between Molfetta and Hoboken: for the first time, the official logo of the Hoboken Italian Festival was inserted in the posters and in the official communication of the patronal festivals of Molfettesi. A gesture strongly wanted by Balestra: “We wanted to enhance the great work of our emigrants in America. We like to be close, even from afar”.
A sign of gratitude to those who, while living thousands of kilometres away, have carefully guarded and handed down the religious and cultural traditions of the birthplace, making them live and participate in the New World.
The centenary of the Hoboken Italian Festival is not only an event: is a manifesto of identity, belonging and resilience. It is an invitation to look to the future with the same spirit with which our grandparents crossed the ocean: with faith, sacrifice and the heart turned home.
2026 is a special year, in which memory and identity are intertwined in a single, great feast that unites two shores of the Atlantic. With the wish that the desires of all those who have at heart Our Lady of Martyrs can be realized, and that this bridge of devotion continues to strengthen itself, generation after generation.
We’ll be in New York, don’t miss… See you to Hoboken!
L’articolo Hoboken Italian Festival, 100 anni di storia proviene da IlNewyorkese.
