More than 100,000 people are expected to attend this year’s annual Little Italy Festa on Oct. 10 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. This free event attracts visitors from all over the country who want to celebrate all things Italian, organizers said. The Festa is considered the biggest single day Italian-American event on the entire West Coast. “It gets bigger every year and it gets more popular,” said Little Italy Association executive director Marco Limandri. “We have people come from throughout the United States who stay in hotels and make an entire weekend of it. The weather’s always beautiful in San Diego in October, so it gives them a reason for coming here.” Besides great weather, the Festa also provides visitors an assortment of entertainment options. Some of the simultaneous events going on include a stickball tournament on Columbia Street to crown this year’s Festa champs. Meanwhile, visitors can observe live artists creating authentic Gesso Italian drawings in a chalk art display on Date Street. People who love food and competition can check out the first Cannoli Eating Contest, presented by Café Italia. Interested in cooking? Learn from Infusion Culinary and the Little Italy Mercato during a live cooking demonstration on Beech Street. Visitors can also test their luck by purchasing a raffle ticket in hopes of winning two round trip tickets to Italy on Alitalia Airlines. For the 21 and over crowd, a beer and wine garden by Karl Strauss is the place to relax and socialize. There will also be a children’s area and an Italian motor sport show during the family-friendly event. Not coincidentally, Festa takes place during the long weekend of Columbus Day. A lot of families with ties to the area use this time as a chance to travel back in search of familiar places and faces. “It represents a homecoming of sorts,” Limandri said. “There are a lot old timers in San Diego and Southern California that were either born or went to school or were married or buried their parents here in Little Italy. When they come back, this is the time they come and see the changes in the neighborhood.” For more information, visit www.littleitalysd.com or call (619) 233-3898.
