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Italian festival sprawls across downtown
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
The Greater Youngstown Italian Festival isn’t a block party. It’s more like a five-block party — and it still needs more space.
The annual event returns to downtown Friday through Sunday.
“This event has turned into something beyond my wildest dreams,” said festival chairman John Rossetti. “I never want to say no to anyone who wants to come in, but we don’t know where to put everyone.”
The boundaries will be roughly the same as last year — Federal Street from North Phelps Street to halfway between Walnut Street and South Avenue, plus Market Street from Commerce Street to Boardman Street.
“It’s the same number of blocks as last year, but we’re trying to fit more into them,” said Rossetti.
Gates will be at Commerce and Market, North Phelps and Federal, Market and Boardman, and — in a slight change from last year — Walnut Street (last year this gate was on Champion Street).
There will be nearly nonstop entertainment in a mega-sized tent, with headliners Romina Arena and Mario D’Andrea. Arena sings pop songs with her operatic voice. “She calls it ‘poperatic’,” said Rossetti.
The festival also will expand upon its inclusion of local Italian restaurants, which set up stands.
“We had Leo’s Ristorante and Roberto’s the last couple of years,” said Rossetti. “This year, we are adding DeChellis, Dona Vita’s, Joe E’s and Bella’s to Go. Next year, we plan to add another mega-tent just for Italian restaurants.”
Rossetti stressed that the usual food trailers selling sausages, pizza and other foods still will be present. “We’re not going to get away from that,” he said.
Another change is that the festival will not have its own cafe this year. Instead, it will hand that function over to Joe Maxx Coffee Shop on East Federal Street, which fronts directly on the festival.
Mike Avey, owner of Joe Maxx, said he will offer a full array of Italian cookies and desserts, as well as Italian coffees and cream sodas. He plans to add staff for the festival and will include an area of outdoor seating outside his shop.
The Italian Festival moved back to downtown Youngstown, where it began, in 2007 after several years at the Canfield Fairgrounds. It was an immediate hit.
“The festival was set up to honor and share our culture, but it goes so far beyond that now,” said Rossetti. “There are many Italian festivals around here, and many have said to me, ‘Why don’t you get all the festivals together and just have one big one?’ I say, ‘We do.’ But I can’t dissuade the churches from having festivals. God bless them; it enriches our Valley. But ours is central and so big that we are able to attract everyone.
“As Italian-Americans, we want to share our heritage with everybody,” he continued. “We want everyone to see what we, and downtown Youngstown, have to offer. The renaissance downtown is unbelievable, and we are glad to be a part of it.”
Rossetti said the festival gives back to the city and the downtown area through its scholarship program and by donating tens of thousands of dollars to charities and nonprofit organizations, including Streetscape.