Add a little Festa to your summer!

Headliners, Italian imports highlight festival

FESTA ITALIANA, presented by U.S. Cellular, guarantees four days of great Italian food, culture, fireworks and entertainment that will surely add a little Festa to this summer’s festival season.

Thousands of festival-goers will help Festa Italiana, the country’s largest Italian-American festival, celebrate its 28th year July 21-24 at the Summerfest grounds (Henry Maier Festival Park) located on Milwaukee’s lakefront.

“Festa Italiana provides an opportunity for the area’s Italian community to come together to celebrate our culture and traditions with people all ages and ethnicities,” said Bill Jenarro, chairman of Festa Italiana’s executive committee. “Along with Festa’s presenter, U.S. Cellular, we are excited and proud to unveil this year’s attractions and entertainment offerings.”

Variety of Music

A variety of musical entertainment slated for Festa includes local bands such as the Love Monkeys and Bad Boy, favorites Dick Contino and Ricci Martin (Dean Martin’s son), Italian opera performances and national ticketed headliners.

Dennis DeYoung, former lead singer and founding member of the band Styx, will perform “The Music of Styx with Rock Symphony” at 8 p.m. July 22 on the north stage. DeYoung will deliver a performance laden with the ‘70s and ‘80s Styx hits he helped send to the top of the charts.

Country music star Jo Dee Messina will perform at 8 p.m. July 23 on the north stage. A multi-platinum recording artist, Jo Dee Messina recently captured the top spot on Billboard’s Country Album Chart with “Delicious Surprise,” her current album.

For both shows, VIP tickets including the admission price tothe festival grounds, premier seating and food, are availablefor $75. General admission tickets at $10 are available for the DeYoung show. General admission tickets for the Messina performance are available for $20. Performance general admission tickets do not include entrance onto the grounds. Tickets for both shows are currently on sale and can be purchased at ticketmaster.com or through a link from festaitaliana.com.

Direct from Italy

Festa will bring these imports from the Italian homeland here this summer:

• The San Gemini Flag Throwers, a world-renowned, colorful group of flag throwers, drummers and buglers from the Umbria region of Italy.  The group’s appearance will be its sixth at the festival, but its first since 1995.
  
  
• Il Coro Livenza, an all-male choir from an area just outside Venice. The 25-member choir specializes in regional folk songs and has performed throughout Italy and internationally.
  
  
• Andriondassa, a quintet from the Piedmont region of Italy (home to city of Torino, host of the 2006 Winter Olympics), will perform traditional folk songs at the Regional Culture Exhibit, the Festa Stage and the Golden Age of Opera Tent. 

New This Year

An appropriate addition to a brew-town festival, Festa Italiana is proud to present a custom designed Italian-style Amber Ale that will be served to festival-goers this year. Roma Red, a special seasonal brew from Miller Brewing, has a distinct robust flavor and deep copper red color that is sure to please.

An Italian dog show and a Venetian floating parade featuring lighted boats will be featured this year. Festa also is honoring the U.S. Armed Forces with military equipment and displays. On July 24, a USO-style Stage Door Canteen Dance featuring a Jitterbug contest will take place and free admission will be granted all day to any service person who presents a military identification card or discharge orders from any branch of the U.S. military.

Traditional Favorites

Everyone has a Festa favorite. For many, it’s Festa’s nightly  Italian-style fireworks show, produced by Milwaukee’s nationally recognized Bartolotta family. Accompanied by music this year, the fireworks will set the lakefront sky ablaze with colorful displays at 10:15 p.m. each night.

Returning this year, the Zoppe Family Circus will be in a 500-seat tent at the southeast end of the festival grounds, just north of the Pompeii Sacred Art Exhibit. The old-fashioned,one-ring circus will perform several times each day. Admission to the circus requires a separate ticket ($5 for adults; $3 children under 12).

Each day PBS’s top, Italy-born chef Nick Stellino and a number of acclaimed, local chefs will share Italian cooking secrets at the Cucina Showcase presented by Da Vinci Italian Foods. Daily demonstrations at the Potawatomi Stage also will include cooking trends, appliance news and authentic recipes.

On Sunday, festival-goers can take part in an 11 a.m. high Mass at the Marcus Amphitheater, followed by the traditional processional through the festival grounds.

Festa hours are 2 p.m.- midnight July 21, and 11:30 a.m.-midnight, July 22, 23 and 24. General admission is $10 at thethe gate. Advance tickets (a $14 value) are also available for $10 and include both a raffle ticket for a variety of prizes, including a first-prize trip for two to Italy and a $2 coupon redeemable towards food or beverage items. Raffle tickets will be available on the Festa grounds.  For more information, including free and reduced admission deals, visit festaitaliana.com or call 414-223-2808.

Festa Italiana presented by U.S. Cellular is sponsored by Miller Brewing, Potawatomi Bingo Casino, Prego Pasta Sauce, Da Vinci Italian Foods, LoDuca Bros., Red Gold, Hinkley Springs, Edwardo’s, Buca di Beppo, Wheelchair Recycling Program, Midwest Airlines, Guardalabene and Amato and Schmidt and Bartelt.