Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Danbury San Gennaro Festival
The Danbury San Gennaro Festival is almost here — just nine days to go! The Feast of San Gennaro is named after the patron saint of Naples and Little Italy, San Januarius. The cultural festival returns to Danbury this year from Wednesday, August 19 through Sunday, August 23.
Live Performances
The event will take place at 1 Ives Street on the Danbury Green and will feature plenty of live music throughout the five-day celebration. The lineup includes Vito Lombardo on Wednesday, Beyond Purple on Thursday, The Zoo on Friday, Vittorio Di Carlo, “The Graceful Tenor,” on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Mullet on Saturday, and Shooting Star on Sunday.
And, of course, you don't want to miss the fireworks on Saturday night, courtesy of All American Waste.
Bishop Caggiano
The festival will officially get underway Wednesday with a Mass at St. Peter’s Church at 4 p.m., followed by a procession from the church to the Green led by Bishop Frank Caggiano. Bishop Caggiano’s parents were Italian immigrants who came to the United States from the town of Caggiano, in the province of Salerno, Italy, in 1958. He was raised in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Yale University before entering the priesthood.
What Does it Cost?
Organizers have structured the festival as a nonprofit event, so admission is completely free. You can come down, enjoy the live entertainment, grab some food, and take in everything the festival has to offer. There will also be special tents and stations set up to raise money for local charities.
Grand Marshall
This year’s Grand Marshal is Anthony Rizzo, Jr., President and CEO of Danbury-based Rizzo Companies. Rizzo Companies is a third-generation, family-owned business providing electrical contracting, general construction, railway, heavy and highway construction, electrical projects, and 24/7 service throughout Connecticut and New York.
As for parking, there are several options around downtown Danbury:
Patriot Garage — 1 Patriot Drive, Danbury
West Conn 5th Avenue Garage — 1–35 Fifth Avenue, Danbury, with shuttle service available
Danbury’s Metro-North lot — 1 Patriot Drive, Danbury, across the street from the Patriot Garage
Charles A. Bardo Parking Garage — 10 Library Place, Danbury
Street parking — If you can find a spot, grab it!
So, who is behind this whole thing?
The event was the brainchild of the Galante family — Jimmy, Tina and AJ — who have been working closely with the City of Danbury and numerous local businesses and organizations to make the fifth annual festival a reality.
And there’s a LOT more happening beyond the music and food. This year’s festival will feature amusement rides, a laser light show, face painting, glitter tattoos, hair braiding, even more food vendors than last year, boutique vendors, a meatball-eating contest, and a cannoli-eating contest.
Basically, if you show up hungry, bored, or without something to do, that’s on you.
I seriously can’t wait. The San Gennaro Festival has become one of my favorite events of the year, and it’s shaping up to be another huge celebration in downtown Danbury.
Now I just have to get the cabana wear out of the attic because we (I-95) are broadcasting live from the feast on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. See you there.
50 Photos from Danbury's Vibrant San Gennaro Festival
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