Rock your inner ‘Italian stallion’ with merch sold at iconic Philly steps
One can practically feel oneself “Getting strong now.” Decades after the iconic underdog movie was released, a new shop outside of the Philadelphia Museum of Art is now officially selling “Rocky” merchandise. According to Billy Penn, a tourism outpost (officially called the Parkway Outpost) was constructed and launched last year near the museum’s s...
ALJ Italian Program Receives $20,000 Grant
Arthur L. Johnson High School Italian Teacher Alessandra Bonacchi was just awarded a $20,000 grant from the Italian American Committee on Education (IACE) Italian Language Center under the supervision of the Consulate General of Italy in New York. The grant, designed to promote the study of the Italian language, was reviewed by the Italian Minis...
Church in Newark passes down century-old tradition of St. Gerard’s feast to a new generation
The Feast of St. Gerard. Friday, Oct. 13, 2023 to Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. St. Lucy’s Church, 118 Seventh Avenue, Newark, NJ. In the back of St. Lucy’s Church in Newark is a dim chapel where the carved likeness of Gerard Majello is kept. Throughout most of the year, visitors gather here at the foot of the marble altar to ask for blessings. Last week,...
South Plainfield Celebrating Italian Heritage Month
Currently, there are over 26 million Americans of Italian descent in the United States, with two million residing in the Garden State and, at a borough council meeting this week, Mayor Matt Anesh declared October 2023 as Italian Heritage Month in South Plainfield. In the proclamation, which was accepted by members of the Plainfields’ Chapter of UNI...
Woodland Park and Roma Club Raise Italian Flag to Celebrate Columbus Day
The Borough of Woodland Park, in collaboration with the Roma Club, gathered on Sunday to raise the Italian flag in celebration of Columbus Day. The Roma Club, a prominent cultural organization in Woodland Park dedicated to preserving and celebrating Italian heritage, played a pivotal role in organizing the event. The club has been a longstanding pi...
Italian Jersey Heritage: Patrick O’Boyle
As Italian Heritage Month continues, I would like to recognize a Jersey guy that is making a significant contribution to our culture: Patrick O’Boyle. Yeah, the name. I know. Stick with me. I paid homage to Patrick a few years ago on my other blog for his contributions. Since then, he has continued to bring important topics to light and is working...
Spectators gather for 35th annual Columbus Day Parade in Bloomfield
The Columbus Day Parade has been a tradition for 35 years in Pittsburgh’s Little Italy. The parade made its way down Liberty Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood Saturday morning as spectators of all ages lined the streets. “Everybody’s here, having a beautiful day, enjoying the parade, that’s the only thing that matters,” said James Pion...
The Italian Cultural Center set to officially open in Delaware County
On Saturday, the doors will open to the Delaware Valley region's first Italian museum. It was a long road to this moment, and the curated collection is a historical celebration of the area's Italian roots. "Our goal is to showcase the greatness and the ingenuity of the Italians and what they've brought to America," says historian Michael DiPilla. T...
These prominent Philadelphia landmarks are still named after Christopher Columbus
As Philadelphia prepares to celebrate its third Indigenous Peoples Day, several monuments, statues, and commemorations of explorer Christopher Columbus remain throughout the city. Despite a recent national movement to remove or recast them, the U.S. still had at least 149 monuments honoring the Italian explorer, per a 2021 audit from local art and...
Orange/West Orange UNICO Chapter Celebrates Italian American Heritage Month with Flag Raising
On Wednesday, October 4, residents gathered at town hall to celebrate Italian American Heritage Month with the Orange/West Orange chapter of UNICO. Italian American month began in 1989 when President George H. W. Bush and the Congress issued a special proclamation for Italian American Month in 1989. It overlaps with Columbus Day, which falls on the...
Trenton’s First Italian Immigrant Families 1793-1850
Sunday, October 8 · 2 - 3:30pm EDT. William Trent House Visitor Center - Across from Hughes Justice Complex - 15 Market Street Trenton, NJ 08611. It is estimated that 10,000 Italians immigrated to the United States between 1793 and 1850 including the first to establish residence in Trenton. One immigrant to Trenton, Giovanni Battiste Sartori (known...
Nutley-Belleville Columbus Day, Italian Heritage Parade Is Back
An annual Columbus Day and Italian Heritage parade will return to Nutley and Belleville for 2023. According to a news release from Nutley Township, the parade will kick off at Belleville High School at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 8. The parade route will travel along Joralemon Street, turn at Franklin Avenue, and continue to the Nutley Park Oval. The...