WATCH: Italian Market Grease Pole Competition
In which dozens of people attempt to climb a 30-foot, lard-greased, sausage-topped pole.
Watching videos of more than a dozen greasy people stacking themselves on top of each other in attempt to climb a 30-foot, lard-slicked, sausage-topped pole doesn’t really compare to standing amongst a rowdy crowd at the 9th & Montrose Piazza in Bella Vista and seeing it for yourself.
But just in case you missed long-standing Italian Market Festival tradition this past weekend – called the grease pole competition, for those who don’t know it – never fear: we’ve rounded up some of the best footage, including the video above.
The competition (brought from New York to Philly in 1973 and called Albero della Cuccagna in Italian) returned to festival last year for the first time since 1997. Participants – true Philly heroes – just had to be 18 years old, sign a waiver and take a sobriety test (requirements that went into place last year).
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