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Festival brings Italy to downtown
YOUNGSTOWN
Antonietta La Rocca of Springfield and her family love the food, the people and everything Italian at the Greater Youngstown Italian Fest in the city’s downtown.
“It’s our favorite festival,” she said.
Her family has operated La Rocca Concessions at the festival the past 19 years. She was among the 40 food and merchandise vendors and amusement-ride operators who opened for business Friday afternoon for the festival, now in its 30th year.
The festival continues today and ends Sunday.
Paulette Shields of Campbell was enjoying cavatelli, a pasta dish. She comes to the festival every year for the food.
But others at the festival came for the music.
The festival is spread over six blocks on all sides of Central Square. It features two tents on Federal Street on each side of the square. The Roma tent will include headliner Aaron Caruso, who will sing from 8:45 to 10 p.m. today and from 7 to 8:15 p.m. Sunday.
But others were enjoying the alternative-punk style band Punk Willie, which kicked things off at the wine and beer tent. Some of them shouted for an encore performance when the band finished playing.
This was the band’s first year playing at the festival, said Neil McCallum of the South Side, who is the band’s base player.
“I know it [the band] didn’t fit the genre of Italian Fest but thought we would bring in more diversity,” he said, adding they expect to come back next year.
Bustin’ Loose will perform at the beer and wine tent from 9 to 11:30 p.m. today. The House Band will close the festival Sunday night, performing from 8 to 11 as is tradition.
John Rossetti, festival chairman, said Friday’s attendance was up 12 percent from last year and expects to break 40,000 attendees if the weather stays good.
“We made it bigger and better,” he said.
Joseph “Red” Mazzocca Sr. of Campbell and Youngstown native Rose V. Tallerino were recognized as the Italian man and woman of the year.
Mazzocca is the host of the “Musica D’Italia” radio show on WKTL-FM, and Tallerino, is 94.
The festival also awarded $1,000 scholarships to five Youngstown State University students and one bricklayers’ apprentice. Rossetti said the festival has provided $1 million in scholarship and charity money over its 30 years. “I’m proud of the fest,” he said.