Ferragosto Connects Rose Hill to its Surroundings

Blog by Luke Berman


Any Fordham Student will tell you that one of the best parts of the Rose Hill campus’s location is having some of the best Italian food in New York in your backyard. Arthur Avenue, about a block away from Fordham’s gates, is informally known as the original Little Italy, and features some of the best and most authentic restaurants you can find. Being from New Jersey, I know good Italian food, and believe me when I say any of the eateries on Arthur Ave are hard to beat. In fact, my parents and I have a goal to try every one of them before I graduate. 

Every year the local Belmont community hosts the Ferragosto Festival, a traditional event marking the end of the harvest season, and this past Sunday, I attended for the first time. The street was flooded with guests trying to get a taste of the various treats the local vendors were selling, and embracing the Italian American tradition that flows through the neighborhood. From the decadent gelato to the pig being roasted on a spit, culture and cuisine filled the air.

Aside from just being yet another chance to have some great food, this was also a fantastic opportunity for Fordham students to immerse themselves in the Bronx community, which is filled with a rich cultural history and surrounds our gorgeous campus.