Festa 2008

Press Release—For Immediate Distribution

BB&T Presents

Festa Italiana 2008

Italian-American Association Event

Vivi e Ama come gli Italiani!

[Translation: Live and Love like the Italians--the official theme of the Festival]

Fuel prices make it difficult to take a trip to Italy?  Not to worry.  The Festa Italiana 2008 will give you the feeling of being in an Italian village without leaving Louisville.  Featuring authentic Italian food, music, and activities in a family-friendly atmosphere,  the Festa Italiana is the area’s premier event for showcasing Italian cultural and heritage, with last year’s festa attracting visitors from 34 counties in Kentucky, nine counties in counties in Indiana, and six states. 

Dates: Sept. 12, 13 and 14
Hours of operation: Friday, Sept. 12: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 13: 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 14: Noon to 6 p.m.

Admission: $2 for those 12 years old and older

Location: St. James Church, 1826 Edenside Ave., corner of Bardstown Road and Edenside Drive, one block north of Eastern Parkway—“In the heart of the Highlands.”

Special Features:

·         Authentic Italian foods and pastries [photo, photo, photo], live music, Italian folk dancing, games (bocce) and activities (spaghetti-eating contest, pizza-tossing lessons and contest, and pizza decorating contest

·         Featured Entertainment: The Pino Marelli Trio (www.marelliproductions.com), from Detroit, Michigan, on the main stage performing all of the classic Italian tunes and a strolling musical duo in the Wine and Beer Garden

·         Romantic Wine and Beer Garden featuring red-and-white table coverings and lights sparkling in the trees. 

·         “Little Italy” Children’s Play Area — adjacent to Wine and Beer Garden and picnic tables for ease and convenience of parental supervision of their children — free activities including face painting, playground equipment, and Italian folk dancing lessons.  

·         Scenic recreation of an Italian village piazza in the heart of the Highlands.  To be sure, you will step ten feet off of Bardstown Road and feel like you are in Italy!

New to the Festa Italiana 2008

·         Meatball Putting Contest: Not to be out done by the Ryder Cup, contestants will putt meatballs, in a marinara sauce, onto a pizza-putting green (Sponsored by Tony BoomBozz Pizza)

·         Expanded Children’s Activities provided by the Highlands-Shelby Park Branch of the Louisville Free Public Library

·         Artisan Area: Handcrafted art by local artists (by invitation only)

·         Cake Decorating Demonstrations by Mrs. Maria Martino, master cake decorator with 35 years of experience

·         Cupcake Decorating Contests (Sponsored by Bernie Pasquantino and Adrienne & Company Bakery & Café)

Contact for additional Information:
Bernardo J. Carducci,  Festa Italiana Information Director

Phone: 282-3938 or cell: 502.432-3169

Email: bcarducc@ius.edu

Festival Web Site: www.louisvilleitalians.com

Supporting Information: The Italians have a long tradition in the city of Louisville, dating back to the late 1800s when they settled downtown near the old Haymarket location to create Louisville’s version of “Little Italy.”  At the turn of the century, these individuals formed the first Italian American Club of Louisville to help promote and preserve their heritage in their adopted city. While the “Little Italy” of Louisville is long gone, the Italian American Association, established in 1974, is the most recent reincarnation of that first club and continues the tradition of promoting Italian heritage throughout the city. 

Today, without question, the most significant event in the city designed to promote and preserve Italian heritage is the IAA’s annual Festa Italiana.  In just four years, the Festa Italiana has become one of the most widely attended and highly visible ethnic festivals in the city, attracting the attention of all of the area’s major media outlets and visitors from 34 counties in Kentucky, nine counties in Indiana, and six states.  Located at St. James Church, which attracted many early immigrant Italian-American families, and featuring authentic Italian food and entertainment in a family-friendly atmosphere, the Festa Italiana creates the feel of “Little Italy” right in the heart of the Highlands, at the corner of Bardstown Road and Eastern Parkway.

Food at the Festa Italiana 2008