Arguably the most spectacular of the North End's many Catholic feast days, the Fisherman's Feast merges saintliness with special effects by employing a local child as a "flying angel." In the festival's climactic event, the designated seraph is yanked by pulley from a third floor window, embarking on a dramatic descent toward the decorated statue of the Madonna del Soccorso. This cinematic tradition anchors a four-day street party with highlights ranging from a stately procession (wherein a 1,200-pound statue of the Madonna is transported to its temporary chapel at the intersection of Lewis and North Streets) to the Sorrento Cheese Building Contest. -- Julia Clinger