Little Italy 20th annual Festa

More than 120,000 people from around the nation will flock to Little Italy to celebrate its 20th anniversary with entertainment, food and Italian culture. The 20th annual FESTA! celebration will be on Sunday, Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. and will be a day filled with live entertainment, food, Gesso Italiano (Italian Chalk), neighborhood stickball and bocce ball games and more, all in celebration of one of the most celebrated and iconic neighborhoods not only in San Diego, but in the country.

In 1994, an annual festival was planned in Little Italy to celebrate the culture and Italian heritage that this San Diego community created, as an official neighborhood in the urban metropolis. Now, 20 years later, Little Italy is bigger, stronger and more exciting than ever and the Festa! is an annual event that draws crowds from all around the county.

“To see Little Italy grow from what it was in the early 90’s, to where it is today, has been an incredible transition and journey, which wouldn’t have been possible without the dedicated members of the Little Italy Association, Little Italy residents and the businesses owners that changed the façade of these streets…while maintaining the heart and soul of what this community has been for decades,” explains Marco Li Mandri, Chief Executive Administrator of the Little Italy Association. “FESTA has been an annual reminder of what makes this community so amazing, and it’s a great day for the tens of thousands of attendees that stroll along our tree-lined streets to feel the love and spirit of our neighborhood. Twenty years is a big deal and we couldn’t be more proud.”

This year’s FESTA! will feature live music on three separate stages featuring both the familiar, and the new artists that are sure to keep this celebration going throughout the day and into the night. The Italian homecoming celebration will also have cooking demonstrations from Little Italy’s best chefs.

The Gesso Italiano, also known as Italian Chalk art, is arguably the most notable activity during Little Italy’s FESTA! Gesso Italiano is one of the largest sidewalk art chalk displays in the country and paints chalk masterpieces right before your eyes. The artwork will transform the streets of Little Italy into an art exhibition for all to witness and marvel at.

For more info, click here.

Thanks to Hayley Croop & Courtney Rose of Olive PR Solutions, Inc.