NEW BRITAIN — The sixth annual Festa Italiana will take place this Sunday at the Generale Ameglio Civic Association, 13 Beaver Street, bringing a family entertainment opportunity for the residents.
The event will run from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will feature music, food, contests and activities for all ages.
Throughout the day, visitors can enjoy the Mopars in Motion all-makes car show, free caricature portraits, traditional Italian food and family activities. Vendors will offer a variety of local favorites and contests will keep the crowd entertained.
The festival also celebrates the Father Giusani Scholarship, which was created with the Community Foundation of Greater New Britain to honor the late Father Augustine Henry Giusani of Saint Ann Parish. Each year, two $2,500 scholarships are awarded to high school students.
The festival will begin at 10 a.m. with music by DJ Joey Bags, bocce, an inflatable sports zone and an obstacle course. At 10:30 a.m., Mass will be held at Saint Ann Church on Clark Street, followed by a procession of the Saint Ann statue to the festival site at 11:30 a.m. Entertainment continues with the New Britain High School Jazz Band at 12:30 p.m., the Father Giusani Scholarship presentation at 1:30 p.m., and a performance by singer Vittorio DiCarlo at 1:40 p.m.
A spaghetti eating contest will take place at 3 p.m., followed by a show by Italian singer Sebastiano Cicciarella at 3:30 p.m. The afternoon also includes a homemade wine contest at 4:15 p.m., a watermelon eating contest at 5 p.m., a performance by the Sorelle D’Italia in America dancers at 5:30 p.m., and the raffle drawing at 6 p.m.
The festival will close at 7 p.m.
Festa Italiana Inc., a nonprofit, organizes the event. Since 2018, the group has donated more than $65,000 to local charities, including the scholarship fund, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Veterans Inc. of New Britain, Warm the Children of New Britain, the Boys and Girls Club and the YWCA of New Britain.
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