READING, Pa. – A fun event kicked off Friday night and continues through the weekend in Muhlenberg Township.
“We have homemade lasagna,” says Francesca Vallonio, a volunteer. “We have something that is called ascolana olives, we bread them and deep fried them, which is a regional thing from where we’re from.”
For the weekend, Muhlenberg Township embraces Italian pride.
“San Marco Club is a club that was founded by a whole bunch of people who came over here from the same town in Italy, Ascoli Piceno, which is about three hours northeast of Rome,” says Mike Gallagher, a volunteer.
At the Saint Marco Society Italian Food Festival, you’ll find games, lively music, and, of course, classic Italian dishes everyone loves.
“We’re Americans, but we want to keep our heritage. We live here, but we still don’t forget where we came from. And I think that’s what everybody, every nationality, should really do,” Ballonio says.
Although the festival is all about Italian heritage, volunteers say all are welcome to come out and try their delicious food.
“We’re trying to keep everything as authentic as we can from the old country,” Ballonio says.
The event celebrates the lasting contributions of Italians in Berks County.
“They settled in this area and started the mushroom growing industry in this part of Berks County,” Gallagher says.
And it teaches the youth that never forgetting your roots means more than sharing family recipes. It means honoring tradition.
“When we’re not here anymore, I’m not sure where it’s going to go,” Ballonio says.
Dining and Cooking