Italian Market Festival Grease Pole Climbing Competition

Name: Italian Market Festival Grease Pole Climbing Competition
Start: 2026-05-16T13:00:00-04:00
End: 2026-05-17T17:00:00-04:00
Location: 9th Street Italian Market

Schedule

Sat, 16 May, 2026 at 01:00 pm to Sun, 17 May, 2026 at 05:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

9th Street Italian Market | Philadelphia, PA

Test your strength and skills at the 2026 Grease Pole Climbing Contest! The Grease Pole, or Albero Della Cuccagna in Italian, is an old tradition in which teams compete in climbing to the top of a greased pole to reach prizes of meats, cheeses, gifts, and money. Perhaps even more important to the winning team are the bragging rights... until next year.
The pole is 30 feet high, greased with lard, and you will find it at the 9th & Montrose Piazza.
Sign ups are on site the day of the climb or teams can register at the Visitor Center located at 919 S. 9th Street. Bring your friends or join the effort solo!