UTICA, N.Y. — St. Mary of Mount Carmel’s annual Italian Parish Festival is in full swing this weekend.
The festival is the “big event” of the year for the parish. Local Italians and Italians at heart make their way each year to what they call “the feast” to enjoy a weekend of fun, entertainment, and homemade Italian food.
Food like sausage and peppers, fried bologna, and of course pizza fritte.
The food may be the big draw, but organizers say it’s more than that, that keeps bringing people back year after year.
“It’s the camaraderie, the volunteerism,” says Festival Chairman Bill Thibault. “It’s just something everybody looks forward to in the summertime”.
The annual Italian Festival wraps up Sunday with the “Buona Fortuna” raffle drawing for a $10,000 grand prize. Buona fortuna means good fortune in Italian