Little Italy’s Amici Park will transform into Venice for a night of dinner and dancing under the stars as the second annual Ferragosto celebration returns Saturday, Aug. 13.   The event is a collaboration between three primary institutions of Little Italy: the church, the school and the business improvement district (BID). Ferragosto will feature a 100-foot canal with floating gondola running through the park as well as a re-creation of St. Mark’s Square, the town center of the famed Italian city.  There will be jugglers, gondoliers, stilt walkers and a Venetian masquerade contest for prizes.  Silent auction items and raffles will give participants the chance to take home tickets to the Super Bowl or a trip to Venice. Italian food and treats from a line-up of two dozen restaurants, including Vigilucci’s, Bencotto Italian Kitchen and Sogono Divino will be served at Ferragosto as the Anthology house band entertains guests. “Little Italy is a special place and unique in how everyone works together for the betterment of the community, to celebrate its past and support its future,” said Luke Vinci, chairman of the Nuova Gen committee, organizers of Ferragosto.  Nuova Gen, meaning new generation, focuses on preserving the history of Little Italy through documentary and preservation projects and supporting youth through scholarships and funding for arts and culture programs at Washington Elementary School. Ferragosto, or “Feriae Augusti” is an Italian holiday celebrated since the days of Emperor Augustus and was marked as a time to relax after the long, hard work of the harvest season.  The original celebrations were held for an entire month and honored the Roman gods, including those of agriculture and motherhood.  Today, the Roman Catholic Church also celebrates the assumption of Virgin Mary into heaven during this time, and the Ferragosto holiday has been downsized to one day held annually on Aug. 15, marked by vacations and time spent with family and friends. Last year’s inaugural San Diego Ferragosto theme was “A Night in Rome,” and was complete with a re-creation of the Roman Coliseum. Money raised from the event last year went to support the Little Italy Association (LIA) BID, Washington Elementary School and Our Lady of the Rosary Church. “The beautiful thing about the event is it benefits the main nonprofits of the community: the educational, the spiritual and the civic,” said Chris Gomez, spokesperson for the LIA, the organization that brings hundreds of thousands of people to the area for such flagship events as the Artwalk and Festa celebrations. Gomez said the LIA’s funds received from last year’s Ferragosto went to a “Preserve Little Italy” project — matching a federal “Preserve America” grant, a campaign spearheaded by former first lady Laura Bush — to create a documentary chronicling the founding families of Little Italy and the tuna fishing industry upon which the community was built.  Preserving the history of Little Italy is also important to Lou Palestini, who grew up in the neighborhood and serves on the Nuova Gen planning committee, as well as the Washington Elementary Foundation Board.  Palestini, who graduated from Washington Elementary in 1955 and is still active in projects to educate current students about the history of the neighborhood, said the school has used funds to enhance their arts and Italian language instruction programs.  He said the Ferragosto celebration is unique, even for Little Italy. “I was raised in Little Italy and I don’t recall any event like this,” said Palestini.  I would almost bet (attendees) would have the time of their life.”    Ferragosto is a 21-and-older event.  Tickets are $100 general admission and $150 VIP, which includes full table service and drink tickets.  Amici Park is located in the 1700 Block of Date Street adjacent to Washington Elementary. Tickets can be purchased at www.ferragostosd.org or by calling (619) 234-4820.  Pre-sale is encouraged, as last year’s event sold out.