Ludlow celebrates community, faith at the 76th Festa

David Chesbro crashes into his father, Ted Chesbro’s bumper car.
Reminder Publishing photos by Sarah Heinonen

LUDLOW — While plenty of towns have local fairs and festivals during the summer, only Ludlow has Festa.

This year marks the 76th Festa, a festival that commemorates the dedication of Our Lady of Fatima Parish, and has become a community celebration. Stretching five days over Labor Day weekend each year, Festa is a combination of many interests and passtimes. It has amusement rides and religious items, popular music and cultural touchstones for the large Portugese community that calls Ludlow home,

The food available at Festa ranges from typical fair food, such as fried dough and ice cream to Portugese favorites, including tarts from Pasteis De Nata, kabobs and Portugese sausage.

The stage at Festa, sponsored by several businesses, including Rocky’s Ace Hardware, People’s Bank and Dunkin’, featured musical acts, such as The James Paul Band, American Honey, Project 267, Aquanett, the Great Escape and 4Mens, as well as Portugese folklore dancing. On Sept. 1, guest clergy, from as far away as Poland and Brazil, were brought in for two open-air masses.
Proceeds from Festa go to support the parish throught the coming year.