DATELINE: MIDDLEBOROUGH, MA...

For a few days in August, Endicott Street in Boston's North End will be transformed into "Cirelli Way" a fitting tribute to the late John Cirelli who first purchased Italian food products from suppliers in the North End in 1946 and sold them door-to-door from the trunk of his car, the first "Cirelli warehouse."

Visitors to St. Anthony's Feast, christened by National Geographic as the "Feast of all Feasts," are invited to stroll down the Haymarket side of Endicott Street in Boston's historic North End Friday August 29 -31 and experience a day in Italy at the all new Cirelli Marketplace while shopping, eating, and meeting new friends.

Cirelli Marketplace is a St. Anthony's Feast original that is being offered for the first time in the 89-year history of the feast. Cirelli Marketplace will play a major role at the feast with numerous Cirelli Marketplace vendors joining in the festivities, offering quality brand name products and tantalizing foods that are a staple of fine restaurants throughout New England. Specialty food items and gift baskets featuring an assortment of Italian foods will also be offered.

Attracting millions of visitor over the years, St. Anthony's Feast has been celebrated in Boston's North End since 1919 as a tribute to both St. Anthony and the Italian culture, bringing the traditions of the small town of Montefalcione, Italy to Massachusetts. Colorful parades, live entertainment, and feasting on traditional Italian cuisine are hallmarks of the festival honoring Montefacione's patron saint, Saint Anthony of Padua.

The original Cirelli Marketplace, located in Middleborough, MA, is the retail division of Cirelli Foods, offering restaurant quality foods at warehouse prices. Cirelli Foods rose from it's humble beginnings as a one man operation founded by John Cirelli in Brockton, MA, to its present position as an $80 million business that is New England's largest family owned broad line foodservice distributor with over 4,000 customers in the Northeast.

Summer Fun

Cirelli Marketplace's Classic Car Cruise Night, an entertaining and FREE outdoor community event that is open to the public, is held every Saturday from 4 pm to 8 pm at Cirelli's Middleborough location at 30 Commerce Boulevard. Classic Car Cruise Night is a fun family night featuring hundreds of cars, music, and Cirelli's famous hamburgers and hot dogs, which are offered for a nominal fee, with all proceeds going to Children's Hospital.

On Fridays from 4 to 7 pm, Cirelli Marketplace also hosts a local Farmer's Market outside, showcasing the wares of local farmers and crafters.

To join in the fun at Cirelli Marketplace take Exit 6 off of Route 495 and follow Route 44 East to Middleborough, travel 3/4 the way around the rotary and take Route 18 North toward Bridgewater, then take the first right onto Commerce Boulevard, the entrance to Cirelli Marketplace is on the left. Regular Cirelli Marketplace hours are Monday through Saturday from 7 am to 8 pm, and Sunday from 8 am to 7 pm.

From Humble Beginnings

Originally founded in Brockton over 60 years ago, Cirelli Marketplace, the retail division of Cirelli Foods, was originally referred to as Cirelli's Cash & Carry. Today the 17,000 square foot Cirelli Marketplace provides customers with the opportunity to shop for name brand products at warehouse prices, with no membership fees.

Cirelli Marketplace, located at Cirelli Foods' Middleborough facility, contains 4,000 on-shelf products, and provides access to any of the other 10,000 items in stock in their warehouse. The Marketplace is a state-of-the-art retail operation offering a wide selection of name brand foods, paper goods, beer and wine as well as a full selection of liquor.

Cirelli Marketplace is located at 30 Commerce Boulevard in Middleborough, MA, with close proximity to Interstate 495, and Routes 44 and 24. For additional information about Cirelli Marketplace please call 1-508-947-8211, email marketplace@cirelli.com, or visit www.cirelli.com.