Italian heritage festival turnout pleases organizers in Warren

Photo

8.8.2009 Wine Competition at Warren Italian Festival, Elena Ware, of Waren selects one of the 125 entries in the wine competition to pour for the judges on Saturday afternoon. Jean Neice

BY JORDAN COHEN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

WARREN—The 25th Annual Italian American Heritage Festival completed its run in Courthouse Square on 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.

Rebecca Fisher, Girard, said she has become a regular vendor with her Ye Olde Kettle Popcorn concession. “We’ll always come back,” Fisher said.

“We think it’s been wonderful,” said Larry Scarpaci, owner of a Warren wholesale produce company. Scarpaci featured free wine tasting and said “countless gallons” of various red and white wines were sampled by fairgoers.

“The favorite seems to be pinot grigio [a white wine] by a long shot,” Scarpaci said. He cannot sell the wine at the festival, but that’s fine with him.

“It can help us attract new customers,” he said. “I’m not here to make a profit.”

Alex Pascarella was among those making a return visit to the festival after an absence of four years. Pascarella had served as master of ceremonies for the entertainment for many years before moving to Las Vegas. He returned for the 25th anniversary to host the music again, but that was not the only reason he came back.

“It’s the people without a doubt,” Pascarella said. “The character of this festival is so special, and I just like to walk with and listen to the people.”

Pascarella was easy to spot. He was wearing a tuxedo for his MC appearance despite the hot weather.

“No problem,” Pascarella said. “When I left Vegas, it was 112 degrees, so this is nothing.”

Sidoti, the festival president, said he is already looking forward to next year, and whatever his concerns may be, weather will not be among them.

“There is an old Italian custom that if you take your rosary and put it on a shrub, there will be no rain and that seems to work for us,” Sidoti said.