The Italian Association of Arizona will host its eighth annual Italian Festival in downtown Phoenix with live music, Italian food, art, exotic cars and entertainment this weekend.
“The Italian Festival is part of a dream to bring a piece of Italy to the desert,” said Italian Association’s Executive Director, Francesco Guzzo. “We started with a small event along the Southbridge in Old Town Scottsdale in 2014 with a few vendors and a lot of enthusiasm. Eight festivals later, we are hitting attendance capacity and keeping Italian traditions alive."
The Italian Festival has a variety of live entertainment during the weekend including Opera singers, The Sicilian Band, revolutionary accordion player Cory Pesaturo and traditional flag wavers from the Piemonte region.
The event will provide authentic cuisine such as fresh biscotti’s, gelato, espresso, pasta and pizza. A few local vendors include L’Impasto, Little Italy of Scottsdale, Pasta Rea, My Daddy’s Italian Bakery and Pomo Pizzeria. Non-food vendors will also be in attendance to sell jewelry, handmade Italian leather purses and much more. Plus, kids can enjoy face painting and balloon makers in the Kids Fun Zone.
The Italian Festival is sponsored by Peroni, DTPHX, Galbani, Queen Creek Olive Mill (the official olive oil of the festival), Anderson Windows, PepsiCo, Desert Rose Transportation and VIP Experience sponsored by Campari & Aperol.
Phoenix’s Italian Festival takes place at Heritage Square from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, March 4 and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday, March 5. Tickets are on pre-sale for $10 and will be $20 the day of the event. To learn more about the Italian Festival or purchase tickets, visit italianassociation.org/festival.
The Italian Association of Arizona, a nonprofit organization, was founded in 2013 to be a hub for local and international businesses. The association’s mission is to share products and services across international borders and provide assistance through local agencies to help build or kick start their entrepreneurial efforts with a focus on arts, culture and education. To learn more, visit italianassociation.org.
