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For Syracuse University sophomores Brooklyn Toller and Jake Gioiosa, Festa Italiana was a perfect way to celebrate Toller’s birthday – and escape the Toller-proclaimed “fake pasta” at campus dining halls. Coming from Italian descent, Toller hoped to find quality Italian cuisine at the festival.

“It’s really cool that they have these kinds of festivals because we don’t have very much actual Italian food on campus,” Toller said.

Festa Italiana returned to Syracuse City Hall for its 26th annual celebration of Italian food, music and people from Friday to Sunday. The community-driven event welcomed 15 local Italian restaurants, including Alteri’s La Bella Dolce Gelateria and Festa Sausage & Pizza by Twin Trees.

Gioiosa, although not Italian himself, said he never felt out of place accompanying Toller. Enthused to try “real” pasta at the event, Gioiosa said he would return next year.

“Brooklyn’s been hyping it up all week, so I’m excited,” Gioiosa said.

Alexander Zhlitsov | Staff Photographer

Festivalgoers can enjoy live music while enjoying their food at Festa Italiana. The event also included a Bocce tournament.

Syracuse resident Jacqueline Belge, who has Italian heritage, made her second trip to Festa Italiana because of her love for the food. Her son is a vendor at The Scotties, a cake concession stand at the festival. Their family usually celebrates their heritage every Sunday at family dinner, but this weekend, Belge and her family did so at the festival.

“It brings people together,” Belge said. “We have a good time, great food and no problems.”

The food and live music weren’t the only things that kept locals coming back – the festival is a way to meet new people and reunite with familiar faces every year, attendees Doris Black and Marian Phin said.

Black and Phin, both Syracuse residents for over 50 years, make it their mission to return to the festival annually. As close friends, the pair dedicates their time to enjoying the various festivals and events Syracuse has to offer.

“It’s the diversity, the people,” Black said. “Plus, what I really enjoy is you get to see people that you might not have seen for a while. It was a great little reunion.”

The festival finds its success not only in returning attendees, but in its 31 sponsors, and the volunteers who organize it.

The festival also offered presentations and demos that allowed locals to celebrate their Italian heritage with others. Presentation topics included life growing up Italian in central New York, with Dr. Linda Lemura, and the history of women in Italy over the last 100 years, with Laura Hand and Frank Ricciardiello.

Though loyal attendees Black and Phin do not have Italian heritage, they said they can’t think of a better way for Italian residents of Syracuse to celebrate their culture.

“That’s how we grow and advance in life–by knowing and learning more about other people’s culture,” Black said. “It’s a big world. It’s not just about you. Other people have to learn. I think it helps you to respect one another and communicate.”

Published on September 15, 2024 at 11:53 pm