This weekend is my town's Italian Festival, an annual event of food and fun! While there is entertainment, games and even a few rides for the little ones, the draw of the festival has always been the food. Pizza, pastas, eggplant Parmesan sandwiches, fried dough (think pizza dough that's been deep fried then tossed in sugar and cinnamon), meatballs and sausages, cookies and pastries and so much more. Just about everyone in town will eat at least one meal at the festival :-)
It's such a popular event that high school reunions, family reunions and trips home are scheduled around the Festa (as it's locally known). Downtown stores hold sidewalk sales, a portion of Main Street is closed off and set up with tents and tables while people mill around catching up with those they haven't seen since last year.
Does your town/city hold annual festivals? Which ones do you attend?
18 comments:
We have a Fall Festival around the end of October. Many of the businesses displays of pumpkin people, so visitors drive around town and look at them. The festival lasts a weekend, and Main Street is packed with food and craft vendors. Sometimes there's a street dance on Saturday night and a talent show at the high school on Friday night.
Big doings for a small town;-)
There are several events in our community. January has an event commemorating James Marshall's gold discovery at Sutter's Mill. The Wagon Train rolls through town in June. The Studebaker Wheelbarrow races are held each Father's Day during the County Fair. Fall brings Apple Hill time and Christmas tree cutting starts after Thanksgiving.
I guess I take a lot of these things for granted, we stay pretty busy with kids' activities. About the only events we attend every year are fundraisers. The Rotary Club's Bon Voyage Ball, Lobster on the River and the Boys and Girls Club's Heroes Night. We will probably attend Cougarfest, the high school athletic's annual fundraiser, at least for the next eight years while we have kids in school.
Wow, just reading this helps me appreciate my community that much more. And having survived LA traffic this week makes me really appreciate where I live.
There is a small historical festival in my town. Once a year villagers dress up in historic outfits, ride horses, shoot arrows, dance, sell stuff and eat loads of historic themed food. I never been but heard it was nice. For some reason I alway had other things to do at that day. Maybe next year I'll have a look, might be fun.
Beth, you had me at eggplant parmesan sandwiches! Yum! We have a fall festival in our town, and we fondly refer to it as the Pumpkin Queen festival. Our claim to fame? WAY back in the late 70s, John Warner visited with then wife Elizabeth Taylor. That was the town's biggest event in decades--until we got a McDonald's. :-)
Sounds like fun, Pamela! The town where my sister went to college does an Autumn Fest which is a lot of fun - but then, I'm partial to Fall :-)
Kristina, it sounds as if your town has a lot going on! All the events sound like fun - which is your favorite?
We have a Leek Festival in the spring where vendors prepare...you guessed it...foods with leeks. Sausages and dips and soups etc. The county fair is also close and is in two weeks!
Jo's Daughter, if you go, I hope you'll tell us what it was like! Sounds like a fun time *g*
Kathy, eggplant Parmesan is my son's and my favorite *g* They go fast, though, so you have to get there by Friday night or they often run out.
Love the sound of your Pumpkin Queen festival! So cool that Elizabeth Taylor attended :-)
We have a sunner celebration called Fusion Fest. It takes over the Large park at city center with tents and booths, live bands and cultural dancing. It celebrates the ethnic diversity of our city and the foods offered are to die for. Plus there are a lot of craft booths from all over the world and I do Christmas shopping in July.
I always try to make it to the San Gennaro Festival in Little Italy every September. I gorge on the zeppoles and calamari.
Hmmm, we have lots of festivals. Haven't attended any latey, use to participate in the annual Christmas parade, but haven't done that either. Too busy with all kinds of other stuff going on... I need to make some time for me one of these days and get back to doing more fun things. I did go see the summer play our community puts on... it was great to see some of the kids again... although they're not kids anymore, they graduated high school this year!
I live in Udine (Italy) & every year in September we have a festival called "Friuli DOC". Usually it lasts 4 days and during this time people eat and drink everything that has been made in Friuli region. DOC (Denominazione di origine controllata) is a quality assurance label for products, especially wine and cheese.
Linda, that is a great idea to do your Christmas shopping at Fusion Fest! Sounds like a great time :-)
Jane, I'm envious! No zeppoles or calamari at the Festa here *g* But I am looking forward to the cookies ;-)
Hey, Snookie! I often wish we had a Christmas parade but our December weather isn't very cooperative. Kids grow up so fast, don't they? I can't believe it's my older daughter's last year of high school!
Hi, Natalija! "Friuli, DOC" sounds like my kind of festival! Then again, I'm always up for a party - especially one that lasts four days *g*
Hi Beht,
festival in my town hem.. i don't we have it
Thanks for stopping by, Eli!
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