By Chris Gomez? | Little Italy News
Don?your denim and diamonds garb and saddle up for Little Italy San Diego’s biggest party,? Ferragosto! The ?biennial?event takes two whole years to plan and?is?Little Italy’s own take on the traditional Italian holiday “Feriae Augusti.”
Each year the fundraising event takes on a?new theme,?and?this?year is no different, welcoming guests to enjoy a ?“Wild Western” experience.
Ferragosto ?2017 ?will be ?held ?on ?Saturday,?Aug. 19,?from 6 p.m. to midnight,?with a VIP reception starting at 5 p.m. Attendees ?will feel like they are stepping back in time into the wild Wild?West?at Little Italy’s Amici Park.
Guests can look forward to line dancing the night away with classic Western themed entertainment, a Western-style BBQ, casino games, a rodeo, live music and more! This year’s?Ferragosto?will also feature can-can dancers, a bluegrass band, saloon, bull riding and?more.
At the fifth annual? Ferragosto, attendees will be immersed into the full experience of the?Wild West,?as Amici?Park?will transform into ?a ?Western Village, surrounded by old Western hotels, convenience stores,?a saloon with whiskey tastings ?and the ?Kumeyaay ?Indian Tribe.?
Guests can?play casino?games like poker and roulette,?enjoy?Western music and entertainment or participate in the live auction and raffle — it’s sure to be a wild, wild party.
San Diego’s finest restaurants will be providing the grub and libations, including hors d’oeuvres, main dishes, drinks, cocktails and desserts.
Participating restaurants include Kansas City BBQ, Phil’s BBQ, Civico 1845, ?Bencotto, Isola Pizza,? Pappalecco, Mona Lisa,? Caffe Italia and more.
Ferragosto’s ?Wild Western?party benefits Washington Elementary School Foundation, Our Lady of the Rosary Church and the Little Italy Association.
Over the past five events,? Ferragosto?has raised more than $600,000 for ?the three nonprofits in the Little Italy neighborhood.
The last few events have transformed Little Italy’s Amici Park into Pompeii, Venice, the Roman Coliseum, and even a scene from the Roaring ’20s.
For more information on this year’s ?Ferragosto 2017 |Wild Western?event, visit ferragostosd.org.?Tickets are sold online, and?start at $125 for general tickets and $1,250 for a general table — upgraded VIP prices are also available.?
To stay connected with?the?neighborhood?during community?events, check out what’s going on in?the?neighborhood by following us?on Instagram and Twitter: @LittleItalySD ?and Facebook: LittleItalySD.
—Christopher Gomez has been Little Italy’s district manager since 2000. Reach him at [email protected].
