The Italian Californian Events Calendar
Italian & Italian American Events in California and Beyond
Festivals, feast days, cultural programs, galas, networking mixers, food events, heritage celebrations, and Italian American community gatherings.
This calendar highlights events discussed on The Italian Californian events page. It is designed as a reader-friendly guide for planning day trips, weekend getaways, cultural outings, and community participation across California and beyond.
Reminder: Event details can change. Always confirm dates, times, pricing, registration, parking, and location directly with the official organizer before attending.
The Italian Californian Events Page
Little Italy of Los Angeles Association / LILAA
Taste of Little Italy — Official Page
The Los Angeles Italian Festival — Official Website
Featured 2026 Events
ItalyRunLA 5K 2026 — San Pedro / Los Angeles Waterfront
Date: Sunday, May 31, 2026
Time: 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Location: San Pedro / Los Angeles Waterfront
A festive 5K celebrating Italian pride, San Pedro’s Little Italy identity, and the 80th Anniversary of the Italian Republic. Runners, walkers, families, and supporters are invited to wear green, white, and red and enjoy a scenic morning near the Los Angeles Harbor.
Read The Italian Californian article
Official ItalyRunLA page
Facebook event page
Taste of Little Italy 2026 — San Diego
Dates: Tuesday, June 16 and Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Time: 4:00 PM – 8:00 PM each evening
Check-in: Piazza della Famiglia, 523 W. Date Street, San Diego, CA 92101
One of San Diego’s signature food events, Taste of Little Italy turns the neighborhood into a self-guided culinary walk with tasting passports, restaurant stops, live music, piazzas, and the energy of one of California’s best-known Italian American districts.
Read The Italian Californian article
Official Taste of Little Italy page
87th Anniversary St. Anthony Feast — Los Angeles
Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026
Time: Mass at 11:30 AM; procession to follow; dinner dance at 1:30 PM
Location: St. Peter’s Italian Catholic Church, 1039 North Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90012
A historic Italian Catholic feast day honoring St. Anthony of Padua with Mass, procession, dinner, music, dancing, and community tradition at one of Southern California’s most important Italian Catholic churches.
Read The Italian Californian article
St. Peter’s Italian Catholic Church
The Los Angeles Italian Festival 2026 — Hollywood
Date: Sunday, October 4, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: 1651 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Tickets: Listed from $108.55+; confirm current pricing through Eventbrite.
A Hollywood-based Italian heritage celebration featuring food, music, entertainment, community pride, and the atmosphere of an Italian street festival in one of California’s most recognizable destinations.
Read The Italian Californian article
Official festival website
Eventbrite listing
Ovation Hollywood
LA Metro
Festa Italiana 2026 — Downtown San Pedro
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Location: Downtown San Pedro, Los Angeles
Admission: Free entry
One of Southern California’s standout Italian American festivals, Festa Italiana in Downtown San Pedro brings together live entertainment, authentic Italian food, a beer and wine garden, kids’ activities, community awards, and the harbor-town spirit of San Pedro’s Little Italy.
Read The Italian Californian article
Little Italy of Los Angeles Association / LILAA
2026 Calendar at a Glance
| Date | Event | Location | Highlights |
|---|---|---|---|
| April 10–12, 2026 | La Piazza Festival | Santa Barbara | Italian market, concerts, food, music, and family activities. |
| May 15, 2026 | Convivio Society Book Banter | San Diego Little Italy | Books, conversation, Italian culture, and community. |
| May 16, 2026 | Translation Practices at the Time of A.I. | San Diego / Zoom | Hybrid ICC program on language, translation, and artificial intelligence. |
| May 17, 2026 | Bocce & Birra | AMICIBAR / San Diego Little Italy | Bocce, drinks, fellowship, and Italian American community. |
| May 20, 2026 | Italian American Business Professionals Mixer | Sonny’s Pizza, San Diego | Networking for Italian American professionals, owners, managers, and employees. |
| May 28, 2026 | National Education and Leadership Awards Gala | Washington, D.C. | National Sons of Italy Foundation gala. |
| May 29, 2026 | Italian American Vintage Tribute at Cicada | Downtown Los Angeles | Classic Italian American entertainment and vintage supper-club atmosphere. |
| May 31, 2026 | ItalyRunLA 5K | San Pedro / Los Angeles Waterfront | Italian pride, waterfront views, race shirts, medals, and community energy. |
| June 14, 2026 | St. Anthony Feast | St. Peter’s Italian Catholic Church, Los Angeles | Mass, procession, dinner dance, Catholic tradition, and Italian heritage. |
| June 16–17, 2026 | Taste of Little Italy | San Diego Little Italy | Restaurant tastings, live music, piazzas, and neighborhood atmosphere. |
| June 27, 2026 | Salinas Festa Italia | Oldtown Salinas | Italian food, wine, music, vendors, and Central Coast community pride. |
| June 28, 2026 | San Pietro Society Luncheon | Italian American Club, San Pedro | Community luncheon tied to San Pedro Italian traditions. |
| September 5, 2026 | Julian Grape Stomp Festa | Menghini Winery, Julian | Grape stomping, wine, music, vendors, and mountain festival atmosphere. |
| September 2026 | Festa Italia Monterey | Custom House Plaza, Monterey | Long-running coastal Italian festival. Confirm exact 2026 weekend with organizer. |
| October 4, 2026 | The Los Angeles Italian Festival | Hollywood / Los Angeles | Italian food, music, entertainment, and Italian Heritage Month energy. |
| October 10, 2026 | Festa Italiana 2026 | Downtown San Pedro / Los Angeles | Free Italian American festival with food, entertainment, beer and wine garden, and kids’ activities. |
| October 25–November 1, 2026 | ICC Italy Immersion Trip to Tuscany | Montepulciano, Tuscany | Language, culture, travel, and Italian immersion experience. |
| November 8, 2026 | Italian Community Services 110th Anniversary Gala | Casa Fugazi, San Francisco / North Beach | Anniversary gala celebrating Italian American community support in San Francisco. |
May 2026
Convivio Society Book Banter
Date: May 15, 2026
Location: M Winehouse, San Diego Little Italy
A complimentary evening of books, conversation, Italian culture, and community.
Translation Practices at the Time of A.I.
Date: May 16, 2026
Location: Italian Cultural Center of San Diego and Zoom
A hybrid cultural program exploring translation, language, Italian culture, and artificial intelligence.
Bocce & Birra
Date: May 17, 2026
Location: AMICIBAR / Amici House, San Diego Little Italy
A Convivio Society gathering centered on bocce, beer, fellowship, and Italian American community.
Italian American Business Professionals Mixer
Date: May 20, 2026
Location: Sonny’s Pizza, 1728 Madison Ave, San Diego, CA 92116
A casual mixer for Italian American business owners, managers, employees, and professionals in the San Diego area.
National Education and Leadership Awards Gala
Date: May 28, 2026
Location: Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington, D.C.
A national Sons of Italy Foundation gala honoring Italian American leadership, education, philanthropy, and culture.
Italian American Vintage Tribute at Cicada
Date: May 29, 2026
Location: Cicada Restaurant and Lounge, Downtown Los Angeles
A vintage-style Italian American music night inspired by classic entertainers such as Dean Martin and Louis Prima.
June 2026
St. Anthony Feast
Date: June 14, 2026
Location: St. Peter’s Italian Catholic Church, Los Angeles
Mass, procession, dinner dance, music, and Italian Catholic tradition.
Taste of Little Italy
Dates: June 16–17, 2026
Location: San Diego Little Italy / Piazza della Famiglia
Two evenings of restaurant tastings, live music, piazzas, and neighborhood energy.
5th Annual Salinas Festa Italia
Date: June 27, 2026
Location: 200 block of Main Street, Oldtown Salinas
Italian food, wine, music, vendors, kids activities, entertainment, and Central Coast community pride.
San Pietro Society Luncheon
Date: June 28, 2026
Location: Italian American Club, San Pedro
A San Pedro Italian community luncheon connected to San Pietro traditions and local Italian American heritage.
September 2026
Julian Grape Stomp Festa
Date: September 5, 2026
Location: Menghini Winery, Julian, California
Grape stomping, wine, music, vendors, and mountain-town festival atmosphere.
Festa Italia Monterey
Date: September 2026
Location: Custom House Plaza, Monterey
A long-running Italian festival celebrating Monterey’s historic Italian fishing and coastal heritage. Confirm the exact 2026 weekend with the official organizer before attending.
October–November 2026
The Los Angeles Italian Festival
Date: October 4, 2026
Time: 2:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Location: 1651 N. Highland Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028
A major Italian heritage festival in the heart of Hollywood with food, music, entertainment, community pride, and Italian Heritage Month energy.
Festa Italiana 2026 in Downtown San Pedro
Date: October 10, 2026
Time: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Location: Downtown San Pedro, Los Angeles
Admission: Free entry
A free Italian American festival presented by LILAA, featuring live entertainment, Italian food, beer and wine, kids’ activities, civic pride, and the community spirit of San Pedro.
ICC Italy Immersion Trip to Tuscany
Dates: October 25–November 1, 2026
Location: Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy
A language and culture immersion experience connected to the Italian Cultural Center of San Diego and Vero Viaggio.
Italian Community Services 110th Anniversary Gala
Date: November 8, 2026
Location: Casa Fugazi, San Francisco / North Beach
A major anniversary gala celebrating Italian Community Services, Italian American heritage, and community support in San Francisco.
Recurring & Ongoing Italian American Events
Little Italy Mercato Farmers Market — San Diego
Schedule: Wednesdays and Saturdays
Location: West Date Street, San Diego Little Italy
The Little Italy Mercato is one of the best recurring cultural experiences in San Diego’s Little Italy, combining food, local vendors, neighborhood life, and the walkable atmosphere of the historic Italian district.
Convivio Society Programs — San Diego Little Italy
Location: AMICIBAR Caffè + Heritage House, 250 W. Date Street, San Diego, CA 92101
Convivio Society hosts cultural programs, coffee gatherings, music, film, book discussions, language events, neighborhood activities, and community-building programs in the heart of San Diego’s Little Italy.
Read The Italian Californian spotlight
Official Convivio Society website
Italian Cultural Center of Northern California Events — Carmichael / Sacramento Area
Location: 6821 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael, CA
The Italian Cultural Center of Northern California offers cultural events, language programs, films, lectures, food and wine gatherings, and Italian heritage programming for the Sacramento region.
Reno Great Italian Festival — Reno, Nevada
Typical Season: October
Location: Downtown Reno
Although outside California, the Reno Great Italian Festival remains relevant for Italian Californians because of its regional reach and its connection to Italian American culture across the West.
Older Event Mentioned
State of the Neighborhood 2025
Date: September 25, 2025
Location: Rooftop Lanai, 2100 Kettner Blvd., San Diego
A Little Italy Association rooftop community celebration focused on neighborhood updates, civic pride, and the continued development of San Diego’s Little Italy.
How to Use This Calendar
Use this page as a starting point for planning Italian American day trips, weekend getaways, festival visits, cultural outings, and community participation across California. Some events require tickets, reservations, or advance registration, while others may be free or open to the public.
For the best experience, check the official event page before attending, arrive early for parking, bring comfortable walking shoes, and consider making each event part of a larger neighborhood visit.
Viva la comunitĂ . Viva la cultura. Viva The Italian Californian.
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