CLEVELAND — This weekend, streets in Little Italy would have been crowded with people celebrating the Feast of the Assumption, but the popular festival was canceled this year because of coronavirus concerns, dealing a huge economic blow to local businesses.
Every year, during the four days of the festival, the main stretch of Mayfield Road is typically packed with people shoulder to shoulder waiting in line to get some of their favorite Italian treats, like a cannoli from Corbo’s Bakery. Production Manager Domenic Corbo said they all saw the cancellation coming, but it's just the latest financial hit to an already tough year.
“To get here and be like, 'wow, it's not here right now' it takes us back a little bit,” Corbo said.
Corbo said for the last 60+ years, he and his family have looked forward to this weekend and have set up a large tent in front of their storefront to sell Italian baked goods to patrons during the festival.
“It's just a good time. Everybody's walking around drinking, eating and just living life,” Corbo said.
But it's not just a good time. For the businesses that line Mayfield Road, it's also a huge money-making opportunity and the cancellation means a huge loss in revenue.
“We’re running at 10% without the feast for sure,” Corbo said.
Corbo said the cancellation of the feast only adds to problems already caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Just in the whole last six months, down here especially, it's a huge time where everybody makes their dough,” Corbo said. “When you come down here on a Friday and Saturday night now, there's parking spaces available, there's tables open and that's a never foreseen thing ever.
He said the lack of business during the warmer months will make things tougher in the winter.
“During the wintertime when there's very little walking traffic, it’s going to be very complicated to keep doors open,” Corbo said. “Now thankfully for me, I have other endeavors going on so it's okay, but mom and pop shops that just rely on what they do out of their front door here—it's going to be very complicated for them for sure.”
Terry Tarantino, the owner of La Dolce Vita on Mayfield Road, said his restaurant has been operating at a fraction of its capacity too.
“It's very inconsistent, we are operating at about 30% to maybe 40%. Last weekend was much better. But when we do really well we're almost at 50%,” Tarantino said.
He said the loss of the feast is huge.
“You do one month of business in one week. That's about what it is. And this is the major month and everybody in Little Italy, our businesses all thrive from May 1 until the end of September, we are very dependent on sun, and no rain and warm weather, because we all have patios,” Tarantino said. “So the feast is the largest patio event of the year. So the whole year has been bad for us.”
The loss of revenue is one thing, but the effect the cancellation of the feast has on the community is another.
“A lot of people that have been lifelong residents in Little Italy are really going through a tough time with this because they really look forward to the feast,” Tarantino said.
Now, he is encouraging people to still come out and support his community this weekend and beyond.
“I want everybody to come here as often as they can, before the year is over, and before the summer season's over—and after the summer season give us awesome takeout business,” Tarantino said.
La Dolce Vita has live opera nights on their back patio on Friday nights.
And over at Corbo’s Bakery, Domenic Corbo said even though the feast has been canceled, this weekend his staff have prepared all of the same traditional treats people love.
Jade Jarvis is a reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
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