WTI Magazine #64    2015 July, 10
Author : Maria Giovanna Galasso      Translation by:

With over 1,600 people in attendance and more than $20,000 raised for Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County, Maryland, the 3rd Annual Festa Italiana of Frederick was a great success. Held on May 30, 2015 on the beautiful grounds of historic Rose Hill Manor Park in Frederick, Maryland, Festa Italiana was a day of celebrating the Italian Culture. The event was created in 2013 with the intent to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County, MD.

Event Chairwoman of the festival, Maria Giovanna Galasso, said that Festa Italiana reflected her vision to bring the atmosphere of an Italian neighborhood to Frederick. Festival goers experienced just that: a relaxed family friendly environment where adults and children alike could immerse themselves into the sights, sounds, aromas, and culture of Italy. With authentic home-made Italian food and desserts, Italian wines and beers, a gelato truck, a wood fired oven pizza, a grill area, and an Italian cheese bar, Festa Italiana was a true celebration of Italian cuisine.

Much more than just Italian food, Festa Italiana featured a wide variety of live entertainment, ranging from traditional Italian tunes performed by Maryland Hall of Famer, "The Monaldi Brothers", to modern pop and rock with the "i-Talians the Band", to renowned accordion player Joan Grauman, culminating with a very special evening concert by "The Sicilian Tenors". A stroll through the Italian Mercatino ensured an artsy and tasty shopping day, while bocce, Italian Karaoke, grape stomping, a dance floor, and a myriad of kid's activities made the day fun for everyone.

The Italian Cultural Tent was a space that Mrs. Galasso was especially proud of. Mrs. Galasso said: "It was my goal to encourage people to look at Italy beyond "O' Sole mio" and "Spaghetti and meatballs". Festa Italiana is a place for Italian and Italian-Americans of Maryland and the surrounding region to feel at home for a day, but is also a venue for everyone to explore Italian culture. We wanted to encourage attendees to sit down and watch Italian movies, explore Italy's 48 UNESCO sites, peruse through Italian books, and listen first hand from guest speakers including, Mrs. Mary Menniti, founder of "The Italian Garden Project". Thanks to the support of the NIAF (National Italian Americans Foundation) we were also able to screen an abridged version of the PBS documentary "The Italian Americas". In the future we would like to be able to display an even wider array of Italian products and companies".

"Habitat for Humanity of Frederick County is grateful for the outpouring support not only in our local community but to those who drove from Baltimore and DC to support us today. We owe a special thank you to our sponsors, in particular our presenting sponsor, Xerox – Complete Document Solutions." Said HFHFC Executive Director, Ron Cramer. "The funds we raise from the Festa support our mission of providing housing for low-income families and allow us to continue our work on the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative".

The state of Maryland recognizes 15 Italian-American neighborhoods and over 250,000 Italian-American residents. Frederick, a charming town recently listed as one of the best places to live in the USA, doesn't have an Italian neighborhood, however, the planning committee of Festa Italiana has a goal to make their annual event the best and most authentic in the region.

The 2016 Festa Italiana of Frederick is scheduled for May 21 at Rose Hill Manor Park. Those interested in sponsorship can contact Maria Giovanna Galasso mgfestafrederick@gmail.com