THUNDER BAY - Much like an age-old recipe for tomato sauce, if people enjoy it, it should never change.
For 29 years, the recipe at Festa Italiana is to celebrate Italian culture with the community of Thunder Bay and fill people’s stomachs in the meantime.
According to Benny Melchiorre, it should never change.
“Between the two days, if the weather cooperates, we average about 20-to-25,000 people,” said Melchiorre, president of the Italian Society of Port Arthur.
Forecasts currently indicate a 60 per cent chance of rain on Sunday and Monday.
Rain or shine, Festa volunteers will continue to prepare more than 5,000 pounds of gnocchi, penne, and meatballs for attendees to enjoy.
The August-long tradition will also feature a variety of entertainers, dancers, beer gardens and fireworks. There’s also a trip for two to Italy to be won, with proceeds going toward the Northern Cancer Research Foundation.
“We try and pass on this celebration to the next generation of Italians. We want to share the culture. It has meaning for a lot of people who come here once a year.”
With three decades of celebrations already in the past, many people have gone their whole lives with the August-long weekend and Festa coinciding.
“We have young people who have moved out of town, and they come back just to be at Festa. They say they were here with their parents as a child,” Melchiorre said.
The festival officially opens on Sunday at 1 p.m., and fireworks will close the festival on Monday night at 11 p.m.
