Church Serves 6,000 Meatballs for Election Day
Our Lady of Pompei's 77th annual Election Day pasta dinner drew parishioners, neighbors and candidates in Syracuse.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Italian Food
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Our Lady of Pompei church held its 77th annual Election Day pasta dinner at 915 N. McBride St. in Syracuse on Tuesday, serving spaghetti with meatballs for $12 per guest. Candidates and politicians attended alongside parishioners and neighbors before polls closed.
Why it matters
The dinner is a long-running community tradition on the city's North Side that brings residents and political figures together on Election Day. Proceeds support the church's ministry and outreach programs in the neighborhood.
Volunteers prepared the meal over several days, using 700 pounds of pasta, 250 loaves of bread and 200 gallons of homemade marinara for the dinner. The meal cost $12 per guest, and the total number of diners and proceeds were not reported.
The players
Our Lady of Pompei
A Catholic parish on Syracuse's North Side that has hosted this Election Day pasta dinner for 77 years to fund its ministry and outreach programs.
The details
Dozens of parish volunteers prepared the food over several days before the dinner. The meal included spaghetti with meatballs and sauce, Italian bread, salad, a soft drink and a chocolate chip cookie, and ran until 7 p.m. Candidates shook hands, worked the room and sat down to meals with attendees.
Timeline
Several days before Election Day: Volunteers prepare pasta, bread, sauce and meatballs.
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026: The Election Day pasta dinner is held at Our Lady of Pompei.
7 p.m., Nov. 3, 2026: The dinner ends, and election returns come in afterward.
Season Trajectory
The 2026 dinner extends a 77-year annual tradition at Our Lady of Pompei, held on Election Day each cycle. Its continuity makes it a fixture of Syracuse's North Side civic and parish calendar.
Residents can attend the dinner at 915 N. McBride St. for $12 per guest, with proceeds supporting the church's North Side outreach programs. The meal ran until 7 p.m. on Election Day, so future attendance depends on the parish holding the event again.
The takeaway
A long-running parish dinner shows how a shared meal can bring neighbors and candidates together on a civic day. Readers interested in local traditions can plan ahead for next year's event.
Further reading
For more on regional dishes, see Italian Food coverage across Syracuse.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Syracuse.
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