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Mount Carmel Fest to begin
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Festival strives for an old-time Italian festival atmosphere.
Toward that end, the event will add a procession this year after the noon Mass next Sunday. The OLMC festival opens Thursday with its annual scholarship breakfast and runs from 5 to 11 p.m. each day (3 to 11 p.m. Saturday and next Sunday). Admission is $3. The church is on Via Mount Carmel, near Choffin Career Center.
The post-Mass procession will begin at 1 p.m. at the church entrance and proceed down Via Mount Carmel to the United Way building and then through the midway. It will conclude with a concert on the main stage by the Plazateer Band.
Also new this year will be “Italian Made Simple” classes, taught by Matthew Saborse, who teaches Italian at Howland High School as well as at Mount Carmel church. The free one-hour classes will be nightly at 7 p.m., according to festival director Tony Trolio.
At Thursday’s festival-opening breakfast in the OLMC social hall, $1,000 scholarships will be given out to Youngstown State University students Joseph Colaluca, Kristi Valentini and Thomas DeToro. The keynote speaker for the breakfast banquet will be Cynthia Anderson, YSU’s new president. The United Way’s Bob Hannon will serve as the master of ceremonies.
A third scholarship was added this year with the donation of $1,000 by Anderson, according to Trolio.
The entertainment lineup will feature Moreno Fruzzetti, Jimmy Alleva, and comedian-singer Marcoantonio, all from New York City. Also appearing for the first time is Stefano from New Castle, Pa., and Cleveland’s Good Fellas Showband will return. The balance of the entertainment schedule includes Capri Band, Jim Frank Trio, Frank Gallo, Rocky Chirchiglia, John Gabrielle, Rex Taneri, Franco Simone, Gabriel and Friends, Dom Tocco and The Brotherhood and Paul Rossi’s Plazateers Band.
Parking will be available in surrounding lots, with free shuttle service to the festival. Last year, more than 10,000 people attended.