La Festa Italiana celebrates its 50th anniversary this weekend, bringing people from near and far together in downtown Scranton for food, music and Italian culture.
Thousands will fill Courthouse Square for the beloved four-day festival, running Friday through Monday, featuring nearly 70 vendors, nonstop entertainment and traditional Italian experiences.
“We’re just happy to be able to promote the heritage, but also promote Scranton,” said Chris DiMattio, longtime president of La Festa Italiana.
50 years of La Festa Italiana
La Festa Italiana’s 50th anniversary milestone comes as the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary. This is not a coincidence.
La Festa Italiana was started during the United States Bicentennial.
“In 1976, ethnic organizations were encouraged to celebrate their heritage after coming to this country,” said DiMattio.
Robert W. Pettinato, who was a Lackawanna County Commissioner at the time, started the festival “as a gift that could keep on giving.”
Pettinato recruited volunteers and participating organizations for the first festival, which had 40 vendors and about 20,000 attendees. It was originally held on Columbus Day but was moved to Labor Day weekend in 1981 due to average warmer weather conditions. It’s been held at that time ever since.
DiMattio, a roughly 40-year volunteer and 30-year president, said the free festival continues to grow, bringing more entertainment, Italian vendors and attendees. Some years, it brings out more than 100,000 and still remains a family-oriented festival.
“It's continued to be a family festival with a lot of things to do, a lot of amenities for any participant, young or old,” he said.
The 50th La Festa will be a “celebratory experience,” DiMattio said, with colorful decorations, as well as new heritage and historical exhibits highlighting Italian American accomplishments and local legends.
Maintaining traditions
During the annual festival, Courthouse Square becomes a piazza, a plaza in a typical Italian town that serves as the central hub for social, cultural and civic life.
As attendees sip cappuccinos and strollers perform music around the square, volunteers will teach attendees how to play bocce, a traditional Italian ball sport, and Morra, a game where players show a number of fingers and shout out a guess of the total sum in Italian. DiMattio said some music artists are directly from Italy.
“It's something that you know an average person living in Lackawanna County or beyond would never get to experience,” he said.
DiMattio highlighted the annual Mass in Italian, celebrated at 10 a.m. Sunday morning in the Cathedral of St. Peter. The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera is the homilist, and Rev. David P. Cappelloni is the principal celebrant.
He said it's uncommon to find U.S. churches that still hold services in the Italian language, and people from other states come in for the Mass.
“I think we're really fortunate that we've maintained the tradition,” DiMattio said.
He also highlighted the Italian car show at 1 p.m. Saturday and the unique food vendors prepare exclusively for La Festa.
“I think that's really special for the individuals who are attending,” DiMattio said.
Event details
In addition to the Mass and car show, there will be live entertainment throughout the entire festival, including musical acts, dance and jugglers.
At noon Monday, the Gene Dempsey Orchestra will perform, this year in honor of its founder Gene “Dempsey” Passarella, who died recently at 100 years old.
The 14th Annual Captain James R. Minicozzi Memorial Race will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday. A cannoli eating contest will be held at 1 p.m. Monday.
Click here for the full entertainment schedule.
This year, a complimentary shuttle will carry visitors between La Festa and Railfest, a three-day celebration of local railroading heritage at Steamtown National Historic Site. This year’s event honors Steamtown's 40th anniversary of becoming a national park site, the 200th anniversary of the start of railroading in the U.S. and America's 250th.
Parking for La Festa will be available at a $6 all-day rate from Friday, Sept. 4, through Monday, Sept. 7, at: Medallion Garage, 140 Adams Ave; Casey Garage, 101 Adams Ave.; Linden Garage, 419 Linden St.; Connell Garage, 117 N. Washington; Marketplace at Steamtown Garage, 300 Lackawanna Ave.; and Electric City Garage, 305 Biden St.
Festival hours are 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday.
For more information, visit lafestaitaliana.org or La Festa Italiana di Lackawanna County on Facebook.
