Tens of thousands make 25th Warren Italian fest successful

BY JORDAN COHEN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

WARREN—The 25th Annual Italian-American Heritage Festival completed its run in Courthouse Square Sunday night, and organizers say they were pleased with the turnout despite the lure of the Thunder Over the Valley Air Show, Sunday’s 90-degree heat and Saturday’s rainfall.

“It impacted us a little, but we’ve still had a lot of people show up and we’re pretty happy,” said Phil Sidoti, festival president. “I wouldn’t be surprised if we got more than 40,000 over the four-day run.”

Sidoti said families come from as far as Columbus and Cincinnati and time their reunions with the Italian fest, a massive display of food, clothing, culture and music that fills the downtown square each August.

“It’s about sampling the food and seeing friends,” said Louise Hinkson, Warren, who attended the 50th reunion of her Warren Harding Class of 1959 this weekend. “It’s a great way to see people you haven’t seen for a long time.”

Lucy Nicastro of Hermitage, Pa., who was born in Bagnoli, a town near Naples, Italy, said she always enjoys the festival, which she described as “an Americanized style” of native Italian life.

“I do like to see the Italian clothes they have here,” she said.

Vendors also said they were happy with the turnout and enthusiasm shown by festival-goers.

Read the full story Monday in The Vindicator and on Vindy.com.