An Italian taste

Marie Taylor says Festa Italiana makes her mom feel like she’s home again.

Taylor’s mother, Angelina D’Uva and her husband, Nick came to Thunder Bay from Italy in 1960. Taylor and her mother started a tradition to always attend the annual festival at the Italian Cultural Centre together and sample some authentic Italian cooking. Taylor arrived early to the first day of the festival with her husband, Keith but she said she was going to see her mother later.

“It’s nice to get back to your roots,” Taylor said on Sunday. “I’m bringing my mom tonight to have gnocchi. That’s the thing we do together. She meets her friends and other family comes. So it is a joining together and it helps them feel like a little bit of home is here with them. This is their home now and this brings back memories for them.”

David Eloranta and his brother Barry were sampling their first elephant ear at the festival. The brothers said they had never attended Festa Italiana before but decided that this year would be the best time to do it.

“We decided to change the scenery a bit that’s all,” David said. “We don’t have to have supper today.”

Edith Ahola came to the festival with her husband Wayne and mother-in-law Evelyn. She said it was important to have festival that showed different cultures.

Festival chairman Benny Melchiorre said he expected more than 3,000 people to come to the 21st annual festival.

“I think this year will be a big success,” Melchiorre said. “This event has been a success from day one and it gets bigger and bigger each year. I think it is so successful because of the music, the food and it is a family oriented event.”

Festa Italiana runs from Sunday and ends Monday night at 11 p.m.  Fireworks will be displayed on both days at 11 p.m.