The Felittese Italian Festival in Old Forge returns this Friday for its 36th annual celebration of Our Lady of Constantinople. Thousands of miles away from Old Forge, its sister city, Felitto, Italy, is simultaneously observing their sacred traditions.

Felittese Association Chairman, Jeff Casella, says that each year, Old Forge hosts this festival as a tribute to the region’s ancestral heritage, honoring the European immigrants who settled in the area and built a strong sense of community.