Festa Italiana, Celebrating Italian Cuisine and Culture
Festa Italiana is the place to be if you are visiting Thunder Bay on the first weekend in August. Come celebrate all things Italian – entertainment, food and drink, and a spectacular fireworks show each night.
Festa Italiana is a two-day event held each year at the Italian Cultural Centre on Algoma Street. Put on by the Italian Society of Port Arthur this local festival has become a Sunday, Monday tradition for the Civic Holiday in Thunder Bay spanning over 20 years. This year's celebration is set for Sunday, August 6 and Monday, August 7 and marks the 27th anniversary of this long running tradition in Thunder Bay.
Fabulous Italian Food & Much More
The parking lot at the Italian Culture Centre comes alive with an entertainment stage, food booths and a beer gardens.
Enjoy home-cooked, traditional Italian food like brushetta, gnocchi, lasagna, ravioli and other Mediterranean delights at the various food booths. Local community groups from the Gran Sasso Club to Saint Anthony's Church to the Juventus Soccer Club set up booths to serve authentic, mouth-watering Italian cuisine.
International and local performers bring entertainment to the outdoor stage throughout the two days. There is an opportunity to learn about the city's Italian heritage and art at displays set up inside the Italian Cultural Centre, while there will be special activities for kids to delight in.
Be sure to stick around for fireworks for the closing of each night at 11 pm, and don't forget to enter the draw to take place during closing ceremonies on Monday night –you could win a trip for two to Italy!
So join in the fun and entertainment of Festa Italiana at Italian Cultural Centre and find out why Thunder Bay is renowned for its Italian Heritage.