Local News

Greasy pole competition returns to St. Peter’s Fiesta in Gloucester

Contestants must run, walk, slide, prance, or otherwise grapple their way to the end of the pole and snag the flag.

Colin Sweet is carried by other contestants after grabbing the flag to win the Friday greasy pole competition at the 93rd Greasy Pole Contest during St. Peter's Fiesta in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on June 23, 2023. The contest runs all weekend with different bouts on Saturday and Sunday and has been a tradition in the city for years. The fiesta itself sponsored by the Italian-American fishing community of Gloucester. (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

By Gwen Egan

June 25, 2023

2 minutes to read

What do fishermen, a greasy telephone pole, and a 5K have in common? They’re all part of the annual St. Peter’s Fiesta in Gloucester.

St. Peter’s Fiesta and the Greasy Pole Contest are back this weekend, providing a chance for locals to take a swing, or slip, at the contest.

Contestants run up a greasy 45-foot (13.7-meter) pole to capture a flag at the 93rd Greasy Pole Contest during St. Peter’s Fiesta in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on June 23, 2023. The contest runs all weekend with different bouts on Saturday and Sunday and has been a tradition in the city for years. The fiesta itself sponsored by the Italian-American fishing community of Gloucester. (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

The Greasy Pole Contest is made by slathering a 40-foot telephone pole in biodegradable grease and attaching it to a 12-foot-by-12-foot platform off Pavillion Beach.

The pole is also covered in other items that might cause contestants to slip off the edge, including banana peels, orange rinds, eggs, and fish guts.

Colin Sweet grabs the flag to win the Friday after runnning up a greasy 45-foot (13.7-meter) pole at the 93rd Greasy Pole Contest during St. Peter’s Fiesta in Gloucester, Massachusetts, on June 23, 2023. The contest runs all weekend with different bouts on Saturday and Sunday and has been a tradition in the city for years. The fiesta itself sponsored by the Italian-American fishing community of Gloucester. (Photo by JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

Contestants must run, walk, slide, prance, or otherwise grapple their way to the end of the pole and snag the flag.

WCVB posted a video to their Twitter account of Saturday’s winner, 27-year-old Colin Sweet of Gloucester.

" I grew up here, I watched it my whole life, so it’s a dream come true." Colin Sweet is this year's Day 1 Gloucester Greasy Pole contest champion. His brother has won the event multiple times in the past. https://t.co/YbeQAu9ir2 pic.twitter.com/EakHPfPDI3
— WCVB-TV Boston (@WCVB) June 24, 2023

Friday and Saturday’s competitors had to get their names on a select list, but Sunday’s competition is even more exclusive, with only former champions, those walking in their stead, and Saturday’s winner being allowed to compete.

Although the greasy pole is the shining — or slippery — star, this event also has religious ties.

St. Peter is considered to be the patron saint of fishermen. This festival, which honors him, has been held annually since 1927. It also includes a 5K race and a carnival.