Festa Italiana is just around the corner, and this year it’s celebrating its 35th birthday. Accordingly, we asked two Festa community members to share their experiences with the festival over the years. Take a look at what Gina Spang, vice president of the Italian Community Center (ICC), and Betty Puccio, past president of the ICC who has volunteered at Festa from the very beginning, had to say:
It’s Festa’s 35th anniversary this year. What does this mean for Milwaukee Italians and those who helped start the fest?
Betty: Their dream was realized. We are all very proud to be able to keep producing this festival for so many years! Those of us who were here in the beginning felt it was a way to reunite the many Italians who longed for the wonderful religious festivals that took place in the old Third Ward all summer long. With the displacement of many who lived in the Third Ward and the loss of Our Lady of Pompeii Church, Italians moved elsewhere in the county. But they never stopped talking about those Third Ward Festivals. The first Festa was a Coming Home Party for many. Festa was a chance to share the best of our culture with the community.
What was the first Festa like?
Gina: I was really young, so I remember the first Festa as a really big church festival. Everyone knew everyone on the grounds so we could run around all day and eat great food, and then the fireworks were so great at the end of the night. It was like kid heaven. All the food was cooked by volunteers. It was like a big family reunion. I also remember Sunday and the mass and procession. The procession was sacred and everyone participated. It is still important today, but back then if you were not there for the procession, you were in trouble.
How has it changed?
Gina: In the beginning I think we were really looking for some way to replicate the Italian street festivals that used to take place in the Third Ward and that are common in Italy. We wanted to celebrate our Italian culture and heritage and share that experience. Over the years it has grown into a much larger venue, and we have expanded our food and entertainment to encompass more than our Italian roots. That change has been good for the Italian Community Center and everyone who attends Festa Italiana. I don’t think we knew how big Festa would become.
What have been some of your favorite moments at the fest throughout the years?
Betty: Some years ago a piazza graced the south end of the grounds, just like a piazza in a small town in Italy. Facades were built to resemble many of the famous buildings in Italy. Live music, food, and tables with umbrellas surrounded a huge fountain. A large statue of “David” (25-feet tall) was made by a local artist. It was a fine reproduction of the original.
On a Saturday night the Piazza was jammed, the crowd became very festive. Due to the insistence of a rather conservative member of the ICC, the David statue had to wear silk briefs. They were made to fit him. After all, he was a big guy! A member of the audience (probably an art aficionado) apparently had enough. With the help of friends, she climbed up the statue and removed his briefs – to the rowdy applause of a huge crowd.
We still use David at Festa, minus the briefs.
At one of the first festivals, I watched my father’s team (80 and 90-year-old men, one with a cane) beat Bill Jennaro’s “young guys” team in the bocce tournament. Experience does count! My father threw the winning shot to beat them. The crowd went wild! The look on Jennaro’s face was worth the price of a ticket. “Bocce knows no age.”
What are the attractions that keep Milwaukeeans coming back?
Gina: I think it is the great food, the fireworks and the family or community atmosphere that you feel at Festa. But it is also the Pompeii photo exhibit, the Cucina, the mass and procession, and the entertainment. We also try to introduce new things each year, and I think that people who attend Festa every year know that there will be new things to see on the grounds.
What aspects of the fest have stayed the same throughout the years?
Betty: The fireworks, the mass and procession, the Cucina Showcase, the Pompeii Exhibit, the photo exhibit and our loyal volunteers.
Food is important to Milwaukee’s outdoor summer festivals. What can we find at Festa that we can’t find anywhere else?
Betty: At Festa, with 33 vendors you have the opportunity to try a variety of great Italian foods. It’s like one-stop shopping. Although, I must say a few of our food items are hard to find at Italian restaurants. One item is eggplant spiedini, another is rice balls: a mixture of rice, aged provolone, ground beef or spinach (some use Ricotta cheese) rolled into a ball and deep-fried, then finished off with a good Italian sauce. Bellissimo!
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This year’s highlights include country artist Phil Vassar headlining at the Spiked Island Adult Lemonade Launch Party, following Old Dominion at 7:30 p.m., in addition to many other entertainment acts such as musical groups Big Bad Voodoo Daddy; Ides of March and Louis Prima Jr. Band; singer Sam Llanas; and escape artist Mario Manzini.
Celebrity chefs Rossella Rago and Nick Stellino will give cooking lessons, and LoDuca Brother’s Wine will offer wine tastings. For the first time, the Milwaukee County Historical Society will present its latest exhibit, “Faith, Family, Festa,” the country’s largest Italian vintage photo display.
Other highlights include the 35th Anniversary Cannoli Eating Contest; the “Guess Who’s Italian” film contest; the 50/50 cash raffle; the 25th Wheels & Heels Rush on Festa 5K/1 Mile Walk; the BP Team U.S.A. Experience look at the Olympics; the seventh annual Italian Idol Karaoke Contest; and of course, the gondola rides, bocce ball, Sunday mass and procession and fireworks.
Festa Italian runs from July 19 to 22 at the Henry Maier Festival Grounds.
All photos courtesy of Festa Italiana.
– Edited by Maria Tsikalas
