|
Italian fest recalls Old Ybor
Enjoy all the aspects of Italian daily life at Festa Italiana, and at the same time help an ethnic landmark to flourish.
By JENNIFER CONWAY
© St. Petersburg Times, published April 5, 2001
Salute e buon appetito! Let's feast together!
You needn't speak the language or have traveled to Europe to appreciate Italian culture. Tampa's L'Unione Italiana will bring it to you.
On Sunday, the group hosts its annual Festa Italiana from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in Centennial Park. With 30 restaurants, 20 vendors and 15 performers, the festival offers a taste of Italy -- from an Italian market to bocce ball.
Familiar faces from previous festivals include Maria Pasetti, who will be stamping grapes, and Andrew and Sammy Arena, two local celebrities who have been singing Ol' Blue Eyes' greatest hits at Italian festivals and senior citizen events for years.
International entertainer Julius LaRosa will be one of the new faces. The Italian favorite has entertained audiences for 40 years.
Other new festival additions include Las Vegas entertainer Arturo Coppola, who will be singing a tribute to Sergio Franchi, local artist Jeannette Assalti, and a children's Easter egg hunt.
The money raised by the festival will be used to help restore the 83-year-old L'Unione Italiana, 1731 E Seventh Ave. The building, which was once a gathering place for some of Tampa's oldest Italian families, has deteriorated since immigrants began moving out of Ybor City.
Pigeons eventually took over the third floor ballroom, said club president Joe Capitano Sr.
With only lingering memories of a busy cantina, theater and ballroom, the club decided Festa Italiana could be one way to help bring back the marble staircases and alabaster chandeliers.
Since the 1998 Festa Italiana, about $1.6-million has been spent on an elevator, air conditioning system and other restoration projects. Capitano expects the project to cost $2.1-million. The club has received $615,000 in grants for the project.
Now, L'Unione Italiana is a place to hold meetings and have weddings. It even has its own collection of historical relics in the Frank V. Giunta Museum.
Festa Italiana is family-oriented. The child who finds the golden Easter egg must give the pair of one-carat diamond earrings packaged inside to his or her mother.
Benissimo!
WHAT: Festa Italiana
WHERE: Centennial Park, Ybor City
WHEN: 11 a.m to 7 p.m. Sunday
COST: Admission is free
CALL: (813) 248-3316
Back to Weekend
© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111
|
