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On September 8, 2004, we organized the first annual Festival of the Sicilian Black Madonna del Tindari in the East Village, Manhattan. The Comitato Pattese alla Vergine SS. del Tindari, a Sicilian immigrant lay voluntary association founded in 1905, sponsored an annual procession and street feast. In 1913, the society opened a storefront chapel and social club at 447 East 13th Street and operated it until 1987. In 1998, the space was converted into the Phoenix Bar. The 2004 revival fete was not a religious event but instead a spontaneous, free flowing cultural affair that recognized the past but also created a future-forward community. Attendees recited poetry, created sidewalk chalk drawings, and played and danced to Italian folk music. In this way, a new generation adopted and transformed the Madonna Nera into an icon of an italianità alternativa, expressing creativity and diversity in an ongoing reimagining of community.
We are gathering again on September 8th. No reservations required. Just show up!
September 8, 2024, 4:30-7:30pm
The Phoenix Bar
447 East 13th Street, off Avenue A
Manhattan
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
447 E 13th St, New York, NY 10009-3421, United States