THUNDER BAY - For the past five years, members of the Sottile family have been busy at Festa Italiana serving up plate after plate of traditional Italian dishes.
“Today it happens to be a family affair,” said Kathleen Sottile. “We have a lot of volunteers, not only family, but today we have 12 visitors from out of down specifically for Festa.”
The Sottile family were busy at work on Sunday to help kick off the start of the 28th Annual Festa Italiana at the Italian Cultural Centre.
"Festa has been around for a long time,” said festival chairman, Benny Melchiorre. “That’s more than a generation. A lot of people come back just to meet their friends. They used to come here when they were teenagers or children and they come back year after year. There are a lot of memories here.”
The annual festival usually draws more than 20,000 people over two days, which are full of live entertainment, activities for kids, and of course, a lot of food.
“The food is the most important thing,” Melchiorre said. “We have about 5,000 pounds of gnocchi and at the end of two days we will be out. It’s a really busy weekend.”
Melchiorre said Festa has always been an important event not only for Italians living in Thunder Bay, but for the entire community who get to experience what it is like to be Italian for the weekend.
“It’s the way we celebrate,” he said. “We celebrate our culture and traditions. We eat, drink, be happy and socialize with each other.”
There is no escaping the family atmosphere at Festa Italiana, whether you are busy serving Italian cuisine, or just enjoying it.
“I would say the food is probably the big draw,” Sottile said. “I think a lot of people are like my family, they like to use it as a meeting place to see people they haven’t seen in a long time, whether it’s family or not. The fireworks are a big draw, but I would say food is number one.”
And with all that food and family and friends, everyone in Thunder Bay can feel just what it’s like to be Italian, which can having a lasting impact, because as Sottile said, what comes with that feeling is a strong sense of community that welcomes everyone.
“I think they will all feel like they belong and they are welcomed,” she said. “Sharing food and laughter and just spending time together is the feeling I had growing up. Eating together is important. I don’t know why, but that is an important part of our culture.”
Festa Italiana continues Sunday until 11 p.m. with a fireworks display and then again on Monday with food booths opening at noon and a fireworks display again at 11 p.m.
