WTI Magazine #27    2014 Apr, 25
Author : Lionel Bottari      Translation by:

There's a considerable number of Italian-themed festivals that occur during the warmer months in the United States, and I've been to quite a few. But none of them have quite the feel of Italy like the one held deep in the cornfields of southern Iowa every June.

There is a flavor in the small town Italian "feste" that is provided by the community all working together to provide a good party, and perhaps that's the secret ingredient in the All Things Italian Festival that makes it so special.
The little town of Fairfield, hosted by SOFIA, the Society of Fairfield Italian Americans, keeps hitting it on the button time after time.

The Fairfield square is packed with entertainment during the All Things Italian Festival.
Accomplished musicians from around the U.S. will treat the audience to authentic Italian songs from the countryside while accompanied on the chittara battente (Todd Cambio), a four-stringed guitar, and the organetto (Domenico Porco), a small accordion. In addition, this year's festival will again feature the talented Kansas City musician and filmmaker, David Marker, who spent months touring Sicily and Southern Italy, acquiring and learning to play a number of zampogne from different traditions and recording miles of footage of the old traditional bagpipers for his documentary Zampogna: the Soul of Southern Italy. David will be joined on the zampogna by Sean Folsom and Domenico Porco.

Italian opera will be well represented by several Iowa vocalists, including Chaz'men Williams Ali, who recently performed Ferrando in Mozart's Cosi fan tutte in Milano, Italy. The singers will be accompanied by Shari Rhoads, opera coach and new artistic director of the Iowa orchestra/company called ConcertIA.
 
Another regular feature of the festival is Lionel Bottari (myself), with the traditional Pulcinella puppet show, zampogna playing, and commedia/cantastoria offerings. In this collection of opere, I will be accompanied by the more famous Jean Parisi (my wife), accomplished commedienne and clown.

This year will also feature the famous juggler, acrobat, and clown Douglas Grew, who spent his childhood in Rome. Doug is bringing a select few from the hundreds of students he has taught over the years, to give the festival an authentic taste of the Italian street performance.

Other street performers will include Commedia del' arte specialists Clair Patton and Lucia Rich, who was taught Commedia by renowned Italian clown Giovanni Fusetti.
The Italian street art tradition of the madonnaro, who creates a "painting" on the pavement using only colored chalk, is well represented by the Fairfield Madonnari Group, a collection of excellent local artists who were inspired a few years ago by a visit from the famous Mantuan artist Nedo Consoli. Since then, the tradition has taken off and the sidewalks and streets will be adorned in chalk by apprentices of this master. Everyone is invited to try their hand at it.

What would an Italian festival be without lots of homemade cannoli?
A big plus to Fairfield is the quality and quantity of the food at this festival. Freshly made ricotta cheese from organic Radiance Dairy will be used in preparing dozens of huge lasagnas, made with love and ready for immediate consumption. Handmade desserts made by SOFIA members and based on old Italian family recipes will accompany an Iowa acre of cannoli (over 1600 filled fresh on the Square) and plenty of gelato in many flavors, and all of this at prices far lower than found in the Chicago area.

You just can't get closer to the feeling of an authentic Italian festa than an evening out in this small town in Iowa. It starts Saturday, June 15, with talks on Italian culture throughout the day, and culminates with the festival, which begins at 5 p.m. and goes tip 10pm. Rain or shine.(They have a huge indoor facility if they need it)
More information: www.facebook.com/allthingsitalianfestival, (641) 919-4277, sofiaisfun@yahoo.com.