By Ginny Kropf, correspondent Posted 23 August 2025 at 9:11 am
Photo by Ginny Kropf: Carol Culhane holds the special poster she created for St. Rocco’s 50th annual Italian Festival, scheduled for Aug. 31. She presented it on Friday to Amy Engert, left, chair of the festival’s Legacy Tent, and Jeanne Maxon, right, who chairs the festival with her husband Chuck.
HULBERTON – St. Rocco’s Italian Fest scheduled Aug. 31 is shaping up to be one for the record books.
This will be the 50th anniversary of the event, which will not only feature the traditional Italian foods and famous bocce tournament, but will focus on the legacy of St. Rocco’s and the quarrymen who immigrated to Orleans County.
“The Local Legacies Project was the cornerstone of the Library of Congress bicentennial celebration in 2000, which was an unprecedented collaboration of the U.S. Congress, the Library and people from all walks of life, who have documented America’s cultural and historical heritage in every state, trust, territory and the District of Columbia,” said Jeanne Maxon, who chairs this year’s festival with her husband, Chuck
In honor of this special year, a Legacy Tent chaired by Amy Engert will be set up, where videographer Christine Zinni of Batavia will be available all day showing a video she created on the immigrants and quarries. Zinni, whose grandfather worked in the quarries, was involved with the original documentation for the Library of Congress.
In honor of the 50th anniversary, Jeanne Maxon contacted local artist Carol Culhane in May and asked if she could create a design to be used on commemorate ornaments, clothing and glassware.
Realizing the possibility they would not know what souvenirs would be most popular and having a lot of merchandise left over, Culhane suggested a commemorative poster. The Maxons agreed and Culhane set about designing an appropriate poster, which was backed with a grant from Genesee-Orleans Regional Arts Council.
“I am honored I could paint a lasting tribute to this event,” Culhane said. “My first husband’s grandfather immigrated from Italy to work here in the stone quarries, so I was familiar with their history. I knew I wanted St. Rocco to be a focal point.”
She incorporated an area in Italy famous for its wine and where many immigrants came from, quarrymen, the nine young men from Holley who died in the Vietnam War, the St. Rocco’s church, the tarantella dance and traditional Italian food.
On Friday morning, Culhane met Jeanne Maxon and Amy Engert at the Print Shop where she presented them with the posters, which will be sold at the festival.
“In essence, the St. Rocco’s Festival represents a lasting legacy of Italian heritage, community spirit and a commitment to preserving local traditions and supporting the St. Mark’s and St. Mary’s Catholic Parish,” Culhane said.
The festival on Aug. 31 will run from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the festival grounds at 3415 Hulberton Rd.
Traditional Italian foods will include eggplant parmesan, meatball subs, pizza fritta, pasta fagioli and more.
Photos by Tom Rivers: Last year’s bocce tournament had 10 teams. The goal is to be the closest to the small ball. The winning team is the first one to 16 points, and the team has to win by at least 2 points.
Events featured will be a bocce tournament, which attracts teams from across Western New York; a basket raffle, vendor booths, live entertainment and more.
St. Rocco’s Festival first began in 1976 to celebrate the American bicentennial and the reopening of St. Rocco’s Church, after being closed for 15 years. The festival soon became a community tradition.
“Although there were concerns about sale of the property by the Diocese, the festival remains a ‘labor of love’ for volunteers and a beloved homecoming event that draws many former residents back to the area each year,” Culhane said. “The festival reflects the community’s strong ties to the church and its heritage.”
Some of St. Rocco’s parishioners have been involved in the festival for all 50 years, according to Maxon.
They are now accepting pre-sale orders for pans of eggplant parmesan, meatball subs and pizzelles by e-mailing https://www.onecatholic.org/about-3.
Teams wishing to register for the bocci tournament may also do so at the above web site.
Spaghetti and eggplant parmesan dinners will be served in the dining hall, while the Italian pavilion will serve up meatball subs, eggplant parmesan, shells in meat sauce and pasta fagioli.
Offerings from the grill will include Italian sausage with peppers and onions, chicken parm sandwiches, hot dogs, hamburgers, fried ravioli and mozzarella sticks.
Joe Morlino was among many volunteers cooking food at St. Rocco’s Italian Festival in Hulberton last year on Sept. 1. The event has been a big fundraiser for the St. Mark’s and St. Mary’s Catholic Parish. Morlino has been volunteering at the festival for 20 years. He is cooking French fries, ravioli and mozzarella sticks.
Dessert options will include pizza fritta, fried dough, cannolis, Italian ice and popcorn.
In the baked food booth, pizzelles, meatball cookies, Grandma’s lemon drop cookies and more will be for sale.
The fenced-in beer tent will be open from noon to 5 p.m.
Basket and cash raffles and a silent auction will take place, with drawings starting at 4:30 p.m.
In the Boutique Booth at the entrance to the grounds t-shirts, aprons commemorative prints and homemade craft items will be for sale. Cash or checks will be needed for purchases.
A new feature this year will be Bocce for beginners and families on regulation courts six and seven. Participants are encouraged to challenge friends and neighbors to this classic Italian sport.
Roxy’s Accordion Band from Batavia will play Italian style music at 1 p.m. in the Legacy Tent.
Also in the Legacy Tent, Christine Zinni will present a program documenting Italian festivals, community traditions and musicians. The program will include local Italian-American cultural heritage throughout the region, with a special emphasis on quarrying sandstone, local families’ ancestors who came to America and preserving the legacy.
Culhane will be available in the Legacy Tent to meet and greet visitors. Her commemorative print, which she donated for this special festival, is a beautiful tribute and accurate reflection of the local Italian heritage, Maxon said.
Festival events go on, rain or shine, with activities protected from the elements in a dining hall and four tents for visitors’ comfort.
Admission is free and there is plenty of free parking, with a large handicapped section near the entrance. Shuttles will run throughout the day to avoid long walks. Pets are not allowed on the festival grounds.
Dining and Cooking