ENDICOTT, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – You might want to loosen a belt buckle to prepare for a weekend of food and fun at an Italian Feast.

Tonight, tomorrow and Sunday, is traditional Italian food, children’s crafts, drinks, and live music on the street at Saint Anthony’s in Endicott.

The deacon at the church, Bill Matts says he remembers the resurgence of the festival in 1990.

He was cooking out the rectory’s garage using a single oven, and now it takes place under a 200-foot tent on a blocked off section of the road.

He says that there has been something cooking in the kitchen at all times throughout this week and that they’ve been planning since January.

Matts says, “The most important thing, is that its a community event. We’ve had people come from California, planned their vacations, from California, Colorado, Florida, they come in here because they know their friends are going to be here and they’re going to get a chance to see everybody.”

He says they are basing their prep off of the sales from 2019’s event, since COVID postponed the feast in 2020 and 2021 and last year was only a single day.

Just some of the foods include pizza fritta, lamb spiedies, sausage and meatball subs, and eggplant parm to name a few.

The festival runs from 5 to 9 both tonight and tomorrow.

After the 11 o’clock mass on Sunday, there will be a procession around the Northside of Endicott followed by a chicken barbecue and pasta dinner until sold out.