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Festa Italiana, 2024

With so many ways to offer one of the most popular CNY festivals, one of its founders, Ginnie Lostumbo is quick to share what the fest means: “Food, heritage, family.”

She told me that generations of families have contributed to the event, and that many of the people who are making the 2024 event “happen” are the children and grandchildren of those involved when the festival began.

“And it’s not just Italian families,” she added.

All you need to do to test her assertion is visit the festival any one of its three days and nights, and you’ll be greeted by Central New Yorkers of all ages and ethnicities – all having a great time, enjoying delicious foods, greeting friends, listening to a variety of music, and learning about the life and lore of one of the essential people who helped build the city of Syracuse.

The three lynchpins of the festival are food (more on that later!), entertainment, and fun.

A regular on the “fun” ticket is the bocce tournament. Your team can participate (men’s, women’s and mixed groups) if you sign up by 8am on Saturday, September 14th. The tournament commences at 9. There are money prizes for first, second, and third place for all teams.

But as it turns out, bocce supplies more than the entertainment requirement of the festival – it’s also a sport with a long and interesting heritage.

The sport goes back as far as the Egyptian, Greek and Roman Empires, when balls might have been made of wood, metal, or baked clay – and now out of various types of plastic. The game was claimed in its current form by Italy, and was shared with the French (pétanque) and British (bowls). It also claims to be the third most popular sport in the world, after soccer and golf!

It’s a targeting game, with a ball (the pallino) being tossed into position on a court, and each team attempting to toss its four color-coded balls as close to the target ball as possible to win a round.

So come and watch a few rounds, or give it a try. Over 25 million Americans enjoy the “game of inches!”

While I’d usually start an article like this with “food,” as it’s a popular feature of festivals in general, and the Italian festival in particular. But the lineup will speak volumes for you. The real question is how to plan your visit so that you’ve had a chance to sample all your favorites and “still have room for dessert!”

With booths offering all your favorites, old and new:

Alteri’s La Bella Dolce Gelateria

Avicolli’s Coal Fire

Big Mama’s Cheesecake Company

Biscotti Café & Pastry Shop

Brancato’s Catering

Charlie’s “It’s a Utica Thing”

Festa Sausage & Pizza by Twin Trees

Limp Lizard Presents Charlie Orlando’s Pasta

MaMa B’s & MaMa C’s

Pascarella’s Bakery & Catering

The Baked Potato Express

The Saucy Sandwich

Tikki Turtle

Villa Pizze Fritte

Vito’s Ristorante

And with two stages as well as roving performers, the festival once again offers a variety of delightful local and regional musical entertainment, with rock, soul, Italian music, and more.

You can watch local celebrities attempt to eat more meatballs than the rest, and you’re guaranteed to run into at least a dozen or more friends as you stroll the grounds, taking in the sights and sounds.

But one thing that you should not miss is the Heritage Display, to be held in the Syracuse City Hall Atrium. One of the most fascinating aspects of the festival, it’s a dive into the rich cultural heritage of the Italian community here, and abroad, and includes both exhibits and presentations by local notables.

Every day (and twice on Saturday) you can take part in “Italian Bingo.” Just like Bingo, but called in Italian, it will be a test for anyone wanting to practice their language skills.

Friday • 1pm: Linda Lemura from LeMoyne College will talk about growing up Italian in CNY.

Saturday • 2pm: Michelle Buckingham will demonstrate an Italian style chicken dish.

Saturday • 4:30pm: Angela Carbone will teach you to make plant-based meatballs!

Sunday: Laura Hand and Frank Riccardiello will talk about Woman in Italy for the past 100 years!

Sunday • 3:30pm Ed Gasparini, and Italian food broker, will display and discuss a variety of cheeses.

In addition, you’ll get to see replicas of the three ships (Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria) that Columbus and his crew sailed in when they cast off for the far East and ended up in North America.

There will be pictures from the Pompeian Players, Pirro and Farone, masks from Venice, puppets from Sicily, a mime dressed as a gondoliera, and images of the many, many families who left Italy and came to a new world – in many cases with little but what they could carry – to start a new life.

This festival is their story, the story of their families, and now ours to enjoy in one of the highlights of late summer/early fall here in “Siracusa!”