20th Annual Festa Italiana

By Christina Rizzo

On Sunday April 9^th, the 20^th Annual Festa Italiana was held in Ybor at Centennial Park. Festa Italiana is an annual festival celebrating Italian heritage and culture. The opening event was Wines of Italy, and then was followed by delicious feasts and events on Saturday with the main event happening on Sunday, April 9^th. There were over 35 of Tampa Bay’s top restaurants that participated in the festival.

 

Italian singer, Zucchero, who Teresa Williams was lucky to meet in the past, headlined the cultural food and wine festival on Sunday. The proceeds went to the Italian Club Restoration Fund. The Club was founded in 1894, which was created to unite the Italian community in Tampa to overcome social and economic challenges when they first arrived to Tampa Bay. The main mission of the group is to preserve and honor the Italian culture, traditions, and heritage of the Italian community and maintain the historical facility as a memorial to the working class immigrants.

 

Festa Italiana started in the spring of 1997 and is an annual multi-day event that benefits The Italian Club of Tampa (L’Unione Italiana) Restoration Fund. What started as just a one-day celebration now spans over the course of four days and concludes with the main Festa Italiana event on the final day. Event attendees will experience the finest in live entertainment, family activities, wine and the Tampa Bay area’s restaurants and cuisine.

 

The Capitano Family are the ones who founded Festa Italiana. Golda Capitano, who was born and raised in Ybor City, stated in an interview that the main reason as to why they started the festival was because her family wanted to keep their Italian family values throughout each new generation. Their main goal is to teach the younger generation how important it is to keep the Italian Club building going and their traditions alive. Capitano is the president of the Ladies Auxiliary for the Italian Club. The Capitano family does so much for the City of Tampa. They are a wonderful family with huge hearts. Our very own Teresa Williams is very close with the Capitano family and attends their Festa Italiana every year.

 

If you missed out on the amazing Italian food, wine, and entertainment from this year there is no need to worry, Festa Italiana is held every single year in the month of April. Be sure to fit it in your schedule next year, it is a festival you don’t want to miss out on!