Celebration of Italian Culture, Featuring Chalk Art, Wine, Food, Music and More
October 19 & 20, 2024
Little Italy • Downtown San Diego
Bella Vita Fest, produced by the ArtWalk San Diego team, promises a unique experience for attendees. View more than 50 chalk art paintings being created live before your eyes on the pavement. Treat yourself to delicious Italian wines and food. Enjoy live music with an Italian flair. Mark your calendar now and plan to attend!
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And now the Convivio Society is seeking support to make its vision of a larger cultural center, a home for all of San Diego's Italians, Italians everywhere, and for those that wish they were, a reality! To donate to this worthy cause, and support other worthwhile causes and programming by the Convivio Society, click here: givebutter.com/contribute
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Come together with the Little Italy Association of San Diego, the Italian Community Center, Convivio, the San Diego Italian community, and the Padres for Italian Heritage Celebration at Petco Park. Your Theme Game package includes a limited-edition themed Padres hat, donation to a local community group, and a ticket to the Dodgers vs. Padres game.
This is a special, non-Convivio event so social club member benefits do not apply. More here.
Be part of the dream! Support The Italian Californian and help us unify and share the Italian American community of California!
| Vent'anni di Convivio | 20 Years of Convivio | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Gratitude should not be something we express on occasion--indeed, it should be a daily practice. All of us at Convivio strive to remember this each day as we continue our community work and keep an eye on our vision: A large-scale cultural center and museum for our community. And so, we are continually grateful for the opportunities to work in our communities and of course, for YOUR INVALUABLE SUPPORT, without which we could not do what we do. For the last two decades, with your patronage and guidance, we have brought you unique, innovative arts and cultural programming:
All of us at Convivio express our thanks to our supporters for your financial contributions, volunteer help, moral support, partnerships, kind words and accolades, and ongoing encouragement! Thank you for being on this journey with us--we look forward to co-creating even more with you. We can use your help! Volunteer with us and make an impact on our community! Volunteer with Convivio >>
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Join us for our first happy hour of the year on February 16--and maybe sing a song or two! Help support our nonprofit and meet new friends at Amici House and the Caffè! Happy hour drink prices for our members! Go to CONVIVIOCLUBS.ORG
The Convivio Society "provides advocates, donors, and volunteers the organizational capacity to advance Italian cultural identity, preserve Italian cultural-heritage assets, cultivate community and fellowship, and foster multicultural awareness through the humanities." You can visit them at the Amici House, The Little Italy Event, Heritage, and Visitor Center," at 250 W. Date Street San Diego, CA, between Little Italy's bocce ball courts and dog park.
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The Amici House is a program of the Convivio Society and can be found at 250 W. Date Street San Diego, CA 92101 by the Little Italy Dog Park. The caffe, Caffe Caritazza, is open 7 am to 2:30 pm Monday thru Saturday and the House/gift shop is open 10 am to 2:30 pm Monday- Saturday.
And don't forget, the Saturday after Black Friday (Novemeber 26th) is Small Business Saturday!For those living in or visiting the San Diego area, the Little Italy neighborhood businesses will be there to welcome you, including the Amici House as part of the Convivio Society! Remember, as a nonprofit, your patronage helps us celebrate all things Italian, bring arts and culture to Little Italy, and benefits our community partners, like Washington Elementary School. Click here or below for more information. Hours: 8:00 am to 3:00 pm
The Amici House is a program of the Convivio Society and can be found at 250 W. Date Street San Diego, CA 92101 by the Little Italy Dog Park. The caffe, Caffe Caritazza, is open 7 am to 2:30 pm Monday thru Saturday and the House/gift shop is open 10 am to 2:30 pm Monday- Saturday.
The Amici House is a program of the Convivio Society and can be found at 250 W. Date Street San Diego, CA 92101 by the Little Italy Dog Park. The caffe, Caffe Caritazza, is open 7 am to 2:30 pm Monday thru Saturday and the House/gift shop is open 10 am to 2:30 pm Monday- Saturday.
Bernadette Tarantino was named "Italian American of the Year" for 2022. The Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America (OSDIA) Fratellanza Garibaldina Lodge #1627 honored her and presented her with a plaque at the organization's 90th Anniversary Dinner Dance in San Diego on Saturday, November 5th.
For more than 40 years, Bernadette Tarantino has worked in sales for her family business, Tarantino Wholesale Foods-curating and distributing a fine selection of products-especially the delicious sausages the family name has become known for locally and abroad. But we do not honor Bernadette merely for her work ethic and for keeping familial business traditions-although that would be enough. Bernadette has also tirelessly given back to her beloved San Diego community for decades, most notably through her involvement with Saint Patrick's Day celebrations; the La Mesa, Ocean Beach, and Encinitas versions of Oktoberfest; Balboa Park's December Nights; ArtWalk; the Ocean Beach Street Fair; the Little Italy Festa; and the Sicilian Festa. Through these initiatives, Bernadette has been intimately involved as a participant, producer, and supporter-spending countless hours in their creation and organization.
Bernadette was born in Little Italy and lived on Union Street. Her father, Pete, a fisherman, hailed form Palermo; her mother, Nona, a war bride from London. In 1960, Pete would stop fishing and begin his foray into the meat business. Bernadette graduated from Our Lady of the Rosary High School in 1969 and would soon follow in her father's footsteps to help the family business to prosper.
Today, you can find Tarantino sausages at Petco Park and at Snapdragon Stadium along with other Tarantino products at Costco, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's. Business is certainly booming, and thanks to Bernadette and her siblings, the Tarantino name has ensured a long-standing family tradition and will continue to thrive through new family generations at the helm.
In San Diego's Italian community, Bernadette first started volunteering for the Columbus Day Parade with Victor Tallarida, founder of the United Italian American Association. Since then, she has also served as a member and supporter of many San Diego-based Italian clubs: Sons of Italy (now Sons and Daughters of Italy), Italian American Civic Association, UNICO, House of Italy, Italian Catholic Federation, and Convivio, to name many.
In perpetuating the tradition of the Little Italy Sicilian Festa, which began in 1994 under the direction of longtime Little Italy entrepreneur/baker Mario Cefalu, Bernadette took the reins in 1996. Through her festival work, she was instrumental in highlighting San Diego's rich and vibrant Sicilian heritage, folklore, and food. For the next 20 years, Bernadette would lead her dedicated team of volunteers to develop a Sicilian festival that would garner national recognition and acclaim. The festival brought together many clubs and organizations that participated in presenting Sicilian cultural elements. A historical display of San Diego's fishing community was part of the annual event, and it helped to bring awareness to the vital role our Sicilian community played in this world-renowned industry. And next year, Bernadette's dream is to bring back the grand tradition of the Sicilian Festa in San Diego.
To Bernadette, family is everything. She credits her success to the life lessons and support of her loving parents; her brothers, Pete and Mark; her sister, Tina; her loving husband, Mike; and her son, Jesse. And lest we forget her precious pups: Angus, Bugsy, and Luigi!
-from the Order Sons and Daughters of Italy in America Fratellanza Garibaldina Lodge #1627
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