Today's Italian fest picture-perfect downtown

YOUNGSTOWN

The weather was perfect Saturday for the second day of the 32nd annual Greater Youngstown Italian Heritage Festival in downtown Youngstown, and festival-goers sat in the sunshine or under tents to enjoy the great food and live music.

Today is the final day of the event that draws people from around the Mahoning Valley and western Pennsylvania.

Rain and thunder storms hurt attendance on Friday’s opening day, and organizers said they hoped Saturday’s warm and dry weather, with the same predicted for today, would bring out big crowds, said John Rossetti of Youngstown, festival chairman and a trustee on the Italian Heritage Foundation of Youngstown.

Rossetti, a code enforcement officer for Youngstown’s building department, said he is heavily involved in the festival because his American-Italian heritage is “very important to me.”

Also, Rossetti said he believes since the festival was brought back to downtown Youngstown from Canfield Fairgrounds it has played a real part in the rebirth of the city’s downtown.

Read more about the event in Sunday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.