Skip to content

Food and fun on the schedule for Festa Italiana

THUNDER BAY – Benny Melchiorre says he wasn’t sure how well Festa Italiana would go over 25 years ago, when the popular event made its Thunder Bay debut. About 7,000 people showed up over the course of that first weekend.
391916_81648750
(Leith Dunick, tbnewswatch.com)

THUNDER BAY – Benny Melchiorre says he wasn’t sure how well Festa Italiana would go over 25 years ago, when the popular event made its Thunder Bay debut.

About 7,000 people showed up over the course of that first weekend.

Festa’s founder says he expects about triple that number will head to the Italian Cultural Centre this weekend to sample the Italian food, music and dance when the festivities kick off Sunday at noon.

Melchiorre said the festival may be a celebration of everything Italian, but organizers welcome the entire community to come out and join the fun.

“We want to create a little Italy on this side of the ocean,” he said on Thursday at a news conference unveiling this year’s line-up.

“This was important to us because we wanted to learn about our neighbours, our friends, who came from different regions of Italy.”

He went on to say there are more than 20 regions in Italy, with different cultures, traditions, specialty dishes and even different languages and dialects.

“In 1991 Festa Italiana was born. Who would ever have thought that 26 years later that idea is still growing? Thanks to all of our volunteers, our sponsors and all the participating groups and the loyal support of the whole community, Festa Italiana is one of the biggest, most attended festivals in Northwestern Ontario,” Melchiorre said.

“This weekend, like the past 25 years, we open our doors, we invite the entire community. We welcome you into our home and show you what truly being Italian is all about.”

Opening ceremonies begin Sunday at noon, with the entertainment taking the stage immediately afterward.

This year’s list of entertainers includes John Scaffeo and Fridnes, Le Stelle Alpine Dancers, the Armando Pulente Band and Ti Amo.

All favourite food vendors are back again, Melchiorre said, including the Italian Society of Port Arthur, the Gran Sasso Club, Italkia Juventus Soccer Club, Let Stelle Alpine and St. Anthony’s Holy Name.

The food offerings are as mouth-watering as ever, from gnocci with Bolognese sauce and meatballs on a bun, to pizza and panzerotti to primavera pasta – as well as North American favourites and the always popular elephant ears.

There’s a draw for a trip for two to Italy and fireworks to close out both nights of the two-day festival.

Admission is free.


 



Leith Dunick

About the Author: Leith Dunick

A proud Nova Scotian who has called Thunder Bay home since 2002, Leith is Dougall Media's director of news, but still likes to tell your stories too. Wants his Expos back and to see Neil Young at least one more time. Twitter: @LeithDunick
Read more



push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks