St. Helena's Italian heritage festival set for Oct. 7

 St. Helena's Italian heritage festival set for Oct. 7

St. Helena's Italian Heritage Month celebration, Festa Italiana, will be from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 7, at Lyman Park.

The event will feature food, wine from local Italian-owned wineries, Italian music, the raising of the Italian flag, and the singing of the Italian national anthem by Katie Hopgood-Sculatti.

Organizer Anthony Micheli is seeking all types of Italian vehicles — cars, motorcycles, farm implements — to be displayed for the event.

Italian-owned wineries who haven't participated in the past but would like to be part of the event should contact Micheli at 707-486-3832. Read more here.

Museo Italo Americano Bocce Tournament San Francisco October 15th

 

Sunday, October 15th, 2023
12 PM - 4 PM

Bocce is the third most played sport in the world!!

Join the Museo Italo Americano for our annual Bocce tournament at the Marin Bocce Federation. Whether you come with a team of four or go solo (we'll find you a team), it's all about the fun!

Registration is $45 for members and $65 for non-members, including a tasty boxed lunch and energizing drinks.

More here.

COLUMBUS DAY FESTIVAL in Sacramento October 12th

 COLUMBUS DAY FESTIVAL

CELEBRATE OUR RICH HISTORY, CULTURE AND

TRADITIONS PROUDLY! 

In many Cities in California including Sacramento,  Columbus Day is also Italian American Heritage Day! This year they are both recognized on October 12, which is also the date Columbus discovered America.

Columbus Day is not only a national holiday but is a recognized holiday in many cities and states across the nation. When we celebrate Columbus Day we are celebrating the arrival of Western Civilization to the Western Hemisphere and our own arrival on these shores. The Columbus holiday has long been associated with Italian Americans as a symbol of their national pride and identity and their enormous contributions to America. The holiday is celebrated throughout Italian-America with parades and festivals. It is the one day of the year that Italian Americans across the nation celebrate their heritage together.

ITALIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY PRESENTS 

"ITALIAN HERITAGE & COLUMBUS DAY CELEBRATION

AT THE ITALIAN CENTER"

SUNDAY - OCTOBER 8, 2023

12:00 - 5:00pm  

Admission: $40-Adult / $20-Child 6-16

at the Italian Center, Carmichael

More here.

Bella Vita Fest: Celebration of Italian Culture, Featuring Chalk Art, Wine, Food, Music and More

 

Bella Vita Fest:  Celebration of Italian Culture, Featuring Chalk Art, Wine, Food, Music and More

October 21 & 22, 2023
11am - 5pm
San Diego's Little Italy

Bella Vita Fest, produced by the ArtWalk San Diego team, has been on the drawing table since 2018.  The festival 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 October 21 and 22 in San Diego's Little Italy.  Tickets are on sale here. 

And read more about it here.

San Diego's Italian Church Holds Annual Festa & Blessing of the Fishing Fleet

 

Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church, an Italian National Parish in San Diego will hold its "Marian" or "Our Lady of the Rosary Festa." There is a special Mass where all parish societies and groups carry their banners in the opening procession. In years past the Bishop of the Diocese of San Diego, now a Cardinal, has celebrated the Mass. After Mass they, along with the public who are welcomed to join, process or parade through the streets of the Little Italy neighborhood down to the harbor. There, along the Embarcadero, a boat is blessed, and fireworks are set off. The procession then parades back to the church where there is a benediction and doves are set free signifying peace. Afterwards there is a complimentary luncheon in the Parish Hall.

Our Lady of the Rosary Festa commemorates the October 7th victory of the combined Christian European fleets of the Holy League of 1571 over the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Lepanto and was originally called the "Feast of Our Lady of Victory."

Below are photos from past Festas. 

What: Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

Where: Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church

1668 State Street San Diego, CA 92101

(619)234-4820

OLRSD.org

When: Sunday, October 1st, 2023

11:00 am Rosary

12:00 Mass

1:30 Procession

Past Festas:

Festa 2018 Album

Festa 2017 Album

Festa 2016 Album

Back to The Italian Californian Main Site

Convivio Society of San Diego Announces Endowment Campaign for larger Cultural Center

 

The Convivio Society of San Diego, a nonprofit that celebrates all things Italian and brings art and culture to San Diego's Little Italy, announces its endowment campaign for a new cultural center! 

 For the last two decades, with patronage and guidance from its supporters, the Convivio Society has brought unique, innovative arts and cultural programming:

• It has developed a space in Little Italy that serves as the neighborhood's heritage, event, and visitor center;

• It has established the Italian Archives of San Diego to preserve our cherished artifacts and recount our collective historical narrative, so vital to the development of San Diego;

•  It has published books on the history of Little Italy and San Diego's fishing industry;

• It has brought you concerts, artisan exhibits, presentations and lectures, films, and we have partnered with like-minded groups to further our impact through collaborative programs and projects;

• It has brought Italian consular services to Little Italy to help co-nationals;

• this spring, it will embark on our ambitious documentary series on the Italian heritage and culture of San Diego;

• and it is working to re-establish the much-cherished Sicilian Festival in San Diego 
  

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

Italian Heritage to be Celebrated in San Francisco

 

San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood will be host to an array of Italian American heritage celebrations in the next few months partly thanks to the Italian Heritage Parade of San Francisco. 

On its website, the Italian Heritage Parade of San Franciso says, "We are proud members of the Italian American community in the San Francisco Bay Area, and together we celebrate and honor the values, culture, and traditions we have been fortunate to have inherited from the Italian American community. We recognize those contributions of the Italian American people and the impact on the community and the people around us. We are committed to keeping those traditions alive for future generations and are committed to raising funds to support our philanthropic work.

Our board is a group of over 30 volunteers who commit their time and resources to carry on the traditions of the parade every year."

Friday, August 25th, it will be holding a Fundraiser Dinner & Raffle, information here. Activities culminate with the Italian Heritage Parade held on Sunday, October 8th, 2023. More info here. There will be events in between you can view here.

Little Italy San Jose Street Festival Returns October 1st

 

 Returning Sunday October 1st, 2023!

​

Established in 2016, Little Italy Festival draws 20,000 + people to our Italian district. 

Italian Festival in San Jose

• Authentic Italian cuisine from some of the Bay Areas favorite Italian Restaurants 
• Nonstop Live Entertainment
• Ferrari & Lamborghini Area 
• Authentic Italian & handmade Arts & Crafts 
• Wine Tasting from some of the best Cal-Italia wineries in CA 
• Highlighting Little Italy Italian Businesses

More here

NIAF 48th Anniversary Gala

NIAF 48th Anniversary Gala

Join the National Italian American Foundation as we celebrate the best of Italian heritage and culture, our 2023 Region of Honor Emilia-Romagna, and the importance of the Italian Diaspora!

Saturday, October 14, 2023

Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington D.C.

More here

Festa Italiana is set for October 7th, 2023 in Little Italy of Los Angeles at San Pedro

 

Festa Italiana is set for October 7th, 2023

 Festa Italiana is set to take place again this year in San Pedro, Ca on October 7, 2023. This authentic Italian festival will bring Italian vendors and entertainers to the downtown streets of San Pedro to celebrate Italian Heritage Month in a big way. 

If you are looking to get involved with Festa Italiana with sponsorship, vendors or other opportunities please email info@lilaa.org for more information.

More here

The Italian Californian at the 2021 Festa Gallery

The Los Angeles Italian Festival 2023

 

The Los Angeles Italian Festival

The Los Angeles Italian Festival kicks off Italian Heritage Month in LA each year at Hollywood & Highland, celebrating all things Italian in the City of LA.

Come and be a part of the incredible Italian festival happening in Los Angeles.

Tickets

Tickets for The Los Angeles Italian Festival can be booked here.

Date & Time

Sat Oct 07 2023 at 12:00 pm to 10:00 pm
(GMT-07:00)

Location

The Los Angeles Italian Festival, 1651 N Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, United States

90th Festa Italia to Return to the Custom House Plaza – Monterey State Historic Park in Downtown Monterey on September 8-10, 2023

 90th Festa Italia to Return to the Custom House Plaza – Monterey State Historic Park in Downtown Monterey on September 8-10, 2023

Monterey, CA. July 2023. Don’t miss the award-winning 90th Festa Italia, celebrating Monterey’s Italian heritage and cultural traditions. Join us for this special festival honoring the local fishermen of Monterey, both past and present. This event’s free entertainment line-up, described below, is unrivaled!

This popular family friendly free event shares the sights, sounds, food, and culture that make the Italian experience so special. It is a celebrated festival each year drawing locals and visitors from the Bay Area and beyond. It features three days of authentic Italian cuisine, great music, dancing, fun and friendship. The delicious flavors of Italy are enjoyed by attendees with tasty food offerings (for purchase) including Calamari, Steak and Sausage Sandwiches, Pasta, Arancini, Cannoli and more, as well as wine, beer, sodas, and water. There is also an array of Italian and Festa Italia-themed merchandise as well as vendors selling crafts and clothing. NEW this year will be an array of special 90th Anniversary Festa Italia merchandise.

The first Festa Italia in Monterey was celebrated in 1933 when a statue of Santa Rosalia, the patron saint of Sicilian fishermen, was donated to the San Carlos Cathedral. Sicilian fishermen would pray to their patron saint for a safe journey and bountiful harvest. It is important... more here...

Read More

What: 90th Festa Italia held by the Festa Italia Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization

Festival Entry Cost: Free

Where: 20 Custom House Plaza – Monterey State Historic Park, Downtown Monterey

When: Friday – Sunday, September 8-10, 2023

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Back to The Italian Californian Main Site

Museo Italo Americano presents “The Eurydice Problem”

 

Thursday, September 14, 2023
6:00 PM PST - Via Zoom

“The Eurydice Problem”

Join us for an exclusive online lecture on “The Eurydice Problem” with Professor Alexandra Amati!

Professor Amati will examine the differences in men’s and women’s music since the birth of the opera genre, as well as the ways in which misogyny and antifeminism have influenced the development of operatic plots, casting, and staging over the centuries.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

COST:
Free Museo Members
$10 Museo Non-Members

INFO & RSVP: HERE
or by calling the Museo at 415.673.2200, 
or by email at info@sfmuseo.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part of the BRAVO Cultural Program
In collaboration with Italian Cultural Institute of San Francisco

Looking forward to seeing you!!

Photo: Muzio as Tosca in Puccini’s Tosca, 1932. By Lawrence B. Morton. Courtesy of San Francisco Opera Archive

2nd Annual Casino di Piazza in Little Italy San Diego FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2023

 

Casino di Piazza

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PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2023 FROM 7:00PM TO 11:00PM

The Little Italy Association invites you to join us as we transform the Piazza della Famiglia into an exquisite Italian garden casino experience for this year’s 2nd Annual Casino di Piazza on Friday, September 15th from 7:00pm to 11:00pm.

In partnership with Vici Luxury Rentals, the evening will feature craft cocktails, light hors d'oeuvres, live music, Blackjack, Craps and Roulette under the stars. Dress to impress in your very best cocktail or black-tie attire as you enjoy every detail carefully curated to give guests the most authentic Italian garden casino experience. Upon arrival guests will be transported to the beautiful, manicured gardens of Milan with the beautiful greenery lined walls and classic Italian statues set in the heart of the Piazza della Famiglia.

Casino di Piazza has two admission opportunities including...read more here.. 

Apply to NIAF on Campus!

 

Apply to NIAF on Campus!

We are looking for 20 dedicated Italian American college students that hold leadership roles in their university’s Italian clubs. If selected as a NIAF on Campus representative NIAF will award your Italian club up to $1,500 in funding to carry out fun and educational Italian American events per academic year.

NIAF on Campus supports the engagement of future generations of Italian Americans by bringing together student leaders that demonstrate outstanding leadership in our community.

Apply by September 15th:  https://bit.ly/37hWk9z

Julian Grape Stomp Festa September 2, 2023

 

Julian Grape Stomp Festa

September 2, 2023
11 am to 5 pm – at Menghini Winery

1150 Julian Orchards Dr

Returning in 2023 – Please join us as we celebrate our 26th anniversary of the Julian Grape Stomp Festa! We are excited to be continuing the old-world tradition of kicking off your shoes, rolling up your pant legs and letting tons of blessed grapes squish beneath your feet!

Regular Admission – $25.00

Includes Wine Glass & One Tasting (for those 21+), Stomping & Great Entertainment
Additional Tastings are $1.00 each 
2023 will also include additional shaded seating areas

Children 6-20 $7.00

More here