THUNDER BAY — The 2020 version of Festa Italiana marks the 30th anniversary of the popular summertime cultural festival, but the celebrating will happen in a more subdued way than organizers had hoped.
Although there will be no fireworks, there will be plenty of food, which is the main attraction for thousands of attendees each year.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced the cancellation of many elements of the two-day, early-August event in and around the Italian Cultural Centre on Algoma Street.
"This year would have been a big milestone for us. We've been waiting to see what was going to happen" with the provincial government's phased reopenings, said Benny Melchiore, the long-time chair of the festival.
Because large gatherings are not permitted, Festa Italiana organizers had to come up with a way to hold the event in a safe way, but also in a manner that would still appeal to the public.
They settled on distributing all the usual festival food favourites in a takeout system in the parking lot.
Melchiore said there will likely be some entertainment in the background, and patrons will have the option of eating on-site if seating is available when they are there.
"We have a big parking lot. We just have to spread some tables around for social distancing," he said.
With the absence of big-stage entertainment and booths, there's no need this year to close Algoma Street for the festival.
The usual draw for a trip to Italy won't happen either.
Melchiore said organizers want to follow provincial safety guidelines.
"We don't want too much congestion. We want to make sure we follow the rules. It's pretty hard to control big crowds. The most important thing for us is the safety of our staff, volunteers and the general public."
Melchiore said the Italian Cultural Centre, just like other halls across Ontario, has suffered from an absence of business this year, but is still doing "okay."
"We had weddings booked, a couple every week, every Friday and Saturday. Unfortunately they're all being cancelled. But we manage. We have food takeout every second Sunday...and our patio has been opened. We're not panicking," he said.
The dates for Festa Italiana – food takeout version – are Sunday and Monday, Aug. 2 and 3, from 12 noon to 9:00 p.m.
