The red carpet will be laid out, banners will be hung and pillars will line Amici Park in Little Italy on Saturday, Aug. 14 from 6 to 11:30 p.m. The park, situated on the corner of State and Date streets, will resemble the Roman Forum under the stars for “Ferragosto 2010, When in Rome.” It will be a fundraising event which organizers hope will only be the first of many more to come. “It was established to bring the community together,” said event chairman Luke Vinci. Each year, organizers want to pull from a different time period and place in Italy and use it as a theme for celebrating Italian culture, Vinci said. Proceeds will benefit Washington Elementary Foundation, Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church and the Little Italy Association. Organizers hope to raise money to provide scholarships and support school programs, as well as maintain the historical preservation of Little Italy. “The church initiated the event,” Vinci said. Father Steve Grancini with Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Church approached Vinci with the idea about a year and a half ago, and the two of them, alongside a long list of other key people, have been organizing and working hard to make it all come together. “Its really unprecedented that a church institution is leading the way to raise money for a public school,” Vinci said. He mentioned that this act represents of one of the unique and genuine qualities of the people of Little Italy. All attendees will be transformed into Roman citizens for a night. The only difference is that instead of wearing togas, guests will be in cocktail attire, Vinci joked. There will be 18 restaurants participating and offering Italian food selections in true Roman style. There will also be a silent auction with 65 different raffle items, including a $3,500 travel voucher that can be used for a trip to Rome. “Everything will be enclosed in the Roman Forum,” Vinci said. Two different local bands will play music under the stars. The house band from Anthology will also provide tunes for dancing. Wine, beer and Limoncello — an Italian lemon liqueur — will be flowing. “It’s a great neighborhood to be sucked into,” Vinci said. He lives and works in Little Italy. Participating restaurants include Bencotto Italian Kitchen, Tarantino, Pappalecco, Busalacchi’s Restaurants, Landini’s Pizzeria, Vigilucci’s Restaurant Group and others. Guests must be 21 or older. Tickets are $100 for the first 400 sold. The remaining tickets will be $125 and can be purchased by calling (619) 234-4820, or by visiting www.ferragostosd.org .
