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Festival celebrates Brier Hill family, past
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DELICIOUS: Friends Gloria Conman of Austintown, left, Jan Maglaughlin of Boardman and Lucille Brown of Youngstown enjoy a laugh and a slice of pizza during the Brier Hill Italian Festival in Youngstown on Thursday. The festival continues today through Sunday on Calvin and Victoria Streets.
By KATIE SEMINARA
The Brier Hill festival is more of a family reunion — with food and entertainment.
YOUNGSTOWN — Although an accordion playing Italian music could be heard in the background, the festival on Brier Hill is about the neighborhood and those who have lived there.
“It wasn’t meant to be only Italian, it was meant to be a Brier Hill Festival,” said Neil Buzzacco, one of the originators of the festival that kicked off Thursday night.
Seventeen years ago, the first festival was thrown together in 21‚Ñ2 weeks by guys who ran the streets of Brier Hill together, said Buzzacco. In that introductory year, more than 1,000 people showed up for a very successful first run.
The neighborhood was originally made up of Italians, Welsh and Scots, said Claire Maluso, co-chairwoman of the festival. Maluso compiled a program full of history that first year to celebrate the unity and survival of the people of Brier Hill who moved here for the steel industry.
“We put this festival together to bring people home,” said Maluso, who noted a festival such as Brier Hill keeps kids in tune with their past.
Annett Racick of Girard is one of those people who comes home to Brier Hill each year for the festival.
“I was born in Italy,” Racick said, but she grew up on Victoria Street and went to St. Anthony’s church, right where the festival is located every year.
As Annett and husband Bob sat under the tent and finished their loaded hot-sausage sandwich and spinach pizza, they spoke of what the neighborhood was like growing up.
“The memories are wonderful,” said Annett, who said everyone in Brier Hill was family. People could leave all the doors open in their houses and all the gardens were something to see, said Bob — who recalled the memories Annett shared with him about her childhood.
One day of the festival isn’t enough for people with connections to the area such as Annett and Bob, who said they would be bringing family on multiple days.
The 17th Annual Brier Hill Italian Fest continues today through Sunday on Calvin and Victoria Streets.
Although Brier Hill pizza might be one of the more popular food selections at the fest, vendors will be dishing out plenty of good eats.
“My father was born and raised on this hill, and he looked forward to this every year,” said Jerry DeMaiolo, who has four food booths at the fest.
The DeMaiolos have been serving up the classics including sausage sandwiches and fried dough since the beginning of Brier Hill fest. “It’s a tradition,” said DeMaiolo, who said even his aunt and uncle would come in from California each year for the dancing.
DeMaiolo likes when people come up to his booths and reminisce about how that same food was made for them growing up in their mom’s kitchen.
So for another year, those who attend the Brier Hill fest can expect nothing short of a family atmosphere with delicious, homemade food and local entertainment.
“If people would come this year, they’d never miss the next one,” said Buzzacco, who wouldn’t miss a Brier Hill family reunion.
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kseminara@vindy.com