Officially held on Aug. 15, the Feast of the Assumption celebrates the Blessed Mother’s passage into heaven. A public holiday in Italy, the occasion is marked across the country by masses, processions, and festivals involving food and entertainment.

Here in the Chicago area, that tradition has been kept alive for the last 25 years by the American Italian Cultural Society in southwest suburban Crest Hill. What began as an intimate celebration involving mostly society members and friends has morphed into a three-day Festa Italiana that attracts thousands of attendees from across the area.