Italian heritage festival returning to Sterling Heights
An annual festival celebrating Italian heritage is returning to Sterling Heights. Festa Italiana will return to Freedom Hill County Park, bringing three days of music, food and family fun to help celebrate the Italian community July 18-20. “It’s a celebration of Italian heritage, of our food and drink and entertainment,” said Joe Ventimiglia, the o...
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons to perform at DeYor Performing Arts Center Italian Fest weekend
Summer may be concert and festival season, but you can experience The Four Seasons all in one night when Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons make their way to the DeYor Performing Arts Center in Downtown Youngstown in August. Valli is set to perform Friday, August 1, which coincides with the Greater Youngstown Italian Fest weekend, which lasts from...
Cleveland’s Italian Cultural Garden hosts 2025 summer opera
Cleveland’s Italian Cultural Garden is presenting “Opera in the Italian Garden” from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Sunday, July 27. In addition to music from the Cleveland Opera, attendees will enjoy dance from Cleveland Ballet Theater (not to be confused with The Cleveland Ballet). This year’s presentation at the historic garden includes dancers from New York Ci...
Celebrate Italian culture and food at Ishpeming's annual Italian Fest
Festivities will be held in Ishpeming for this year's Italian Fest on Saturday, July 26. Here's what you can expect. The event, held by the St. Rocco-St. Anthony Society of Ishpeming, is free, family-friendly and open to the public. Plenty of Italian and American food will be served throughout the day at the venue: the Al Quaal Recreation Area. Wh...
The XLIV Italian Bowl Championship Game in Toledo, Ohio
The XLIV (44th edition) of the Italian Bowl, Italy’s national football championship was played in Toledo, Ohio (USA) at the University of Toledo’s Glass Bowl stadium on Saturday, June 28, 2025. This final game of the Italian Football League (IFL) determined the league champion; the matchup was between the league’s top two teams; Guelfi Firenze (Flo...
Nick Eyde: The visionary behind the Italian Bowl’s American Dream
When Italian football fans tune in to watch the 2025 Italian Bowl, they’ll be witnessing more than just a championship game—they’ll be watching a dream realized. For Nick Eyde, a real estate developer and the man behind the bold idea of bringing Italy’s gridiron championship to Toledo, Ohio, the event is a unique fusion of cultures, a celebration o...
Martucci drawn early on to special effects makeup
Ross Martucci fell in love with special effects makeup as a child, when he saw the gruesome Freddy Krueger of the movie “Nightmare on Elm Street” on the cover of a horror magazine. “I couldn’t believe how it was possible to make somebody look like they were burnt from head to toe and it not be real. It was almost like magic to me,” the Chicago-base...
Why Evanston music director thinks ‘Pagliacci’ is an opera for everyone
What do these famous cultural references have in common? The fifth episode in the first season of the 1960s television show Batman, which introduced Cesar Romero as the Joker; the Agatha Christie short story, Swan Song; the Marvin Gaye song, (I’m Afraid) The Masquerade is Over; the 1970 hit by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Tears of a Clown; the...
A Beloved West Michigan Festival Returns After 25 Years
West Michigan is known for having some truly exquisite festivals. Some, like Tulip Time, are ranked among the best festivals in the entire country. The World of Winter festival in downtown Grand Rapids is the largest winter festival in North America. Festivals come and go, like the Festival of the Arts, which announced it would cease operations aft...
DePaul women’s basketball coach Jill Pizzotti
A standout basketball player from middle school through college, Jill Pizzotti’s lifelong desire to lead from the sidelines propelled her to the pinnacle of the collegiate world when she was tapped to helm DePaul’s women’s team. Jill M. Pizzotti, who will begin her first season as head coach of the DePaul Blue Demons women’s basketball team this fa...
XLIV Italian Bowl, American Football League Unveils the 'Gionni Colombo Trophy'
The Italian Super Bowl of American Football is now in full bloom in Toledo, Ohio, as the top teams battle for national glory. The winner of the XLIV Italian Bowl, taking place on June 28, will not only earn the championship title—but also bring home a one-of-a-kind trophy: the Gionni Colombo Trophy, an extraordinary fusion of Italian artistry and a...
Italian street festival brings authentic Italian culture to Indianapolis
Holy Rosary Catholic Church is hosting its annual Italian Street Festival on June 13 and 14 in Indianapolis. The free, family-friendly event will take place at Holy Rosary Church and Lacy Park, offering a taste of authentic Italian culture. The Italian Street Festival will feature over 25 food booths serving Italian meats, pastas, salads, and desse...