KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Festa Italiana took over Zona Rosa this weekend, turning North Park into an Italian street festival filled with food, music and cultural activities, all while supporting local students.
Hosted by UNICO, the nation’s largest Italian-American service organization, the free three-day celebration is considered Kansas City’s largest Italian festival, drawing an estimated 30,000 attendees.
Organizers say the weekend went beyond crowd-favorite competitions like meatball and cannoli eating contests. Festa Italiana is also UNICO Kansas City’s biggest fundraiser, awarding more than $60,000 in college scholarships to local high school students during the weekend.
Throughout the weekend, festivalgoers sampled authentic Italian dishes, watched chef demonstrations, and took in cultural performances and activities for all ages. Live entertainment kept the crowds moving, with classic Sinatra-style sounds along with national and local Italian-American musicians. And for those looking for a little friendly competition, the meatball and cannoli eating contests once again drew big crowds.
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Dining and Cooking