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La Festa Italiana will be held Labor Day weekend (Friday through Monday, September 1-4, 2017) on Courthouse Square in the heart of downtown Scranton, Pa. Hours are Friday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Monday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. As usual, more than 80 vendors will be offering great Italian food, and continuous live entert...

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Dino Puteri and Jeremy Morris are used to everyone mistaking them for brothers. The Scranton natives have been best friends since sixth grade, and as co-owners of Fratelli’s Pizza & Pasta House (“fratello” in Italian means “brother”), it’s no wonder so many folks think they’re related. “We never correct them because we feel like brothers,” Puteri s...

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Mary Marrara moved to Northeast Pennsylvania from Fort Washington 47 years ago when she fell in love with her husband, Phil, and then fell in love again with the community she found. The Jermyn resident has contributed to, chaired or served with dozens of charitable groups and events in the area through the years. To honor her for this life of givi...

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My heart broke when I first heard that the Dante Literary Society in South Scranton will soon close its doors for good. I had the privilege of serving as its president from 2009 to 2012. Despite the challenges and aggravations that comes with a position like this, I consider it among the most rewarding experiences of my life.   Many know it...

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Coney Island is known for its hot dog eating competition and Philadelphia is known for the Wing Bowl but Scranton may be the capital of the cannoli eating competition. For the fifth year, a cannoli eating competition was held as part of the annual La Festa Italiana celebration. Seven people vied to be named champion.   As they down...

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by Patrice Wilding   From its humble beginnings as a single-block festival 41 years ago, La Festa Italiana grew into a destination event for locals, out-of-towners and homecoming natives. The Labor Day weekend festival now features more than 80 food and craft vendors, as well as dozens of regional entertainment acts, spread out over thr...

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Marty Tomarelli still remembers the good times at the Dante Literary Society — the 12-team bowling league, the summer clambakes and dressing as a mummy at the club's annual Halloween party. "We all had a hell of a time," the 87-year-old said.   The 82-year-old Scranton club is coming to an end in September. The members of the organizati...

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A local version of a well-known Italian festival came to Montage Mountain this week, offering food, music and family fun.   San Gennaro Festival, named for the patron saint of Naples, Italy, kicked off Wednesday. Saturday was the sunniest day so far, and people came to enjoy Italian pastries and ices while listening to musical tributes to Fr...

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As La Festa Italiana celebrates its 40th year, the annual end-of-summer festival in downtown Scranton, Pa. is expanding by opening Friday evening for the first time. La Festa will be held Labor Day weekend (Friday through Monday, September 4-7, 2015) on Courthouse Square in the heart of the city. Hours are Friday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday a...

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On Sunday, Oct. 5, author Paolo Battaglia will give a presentation on his new book, "Explorers, Emigrants, Citizens: A Visual History of the Italian American Experience from the Collections of the Library of Congress" at the Lackawanna Historical Society's Catlin House, 232 Monroe Ave., Scranton. The program will begin at 2 p.m.   Battaglia...

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