10 things to see, do — and eat — at Festa Italiana this weekend
Festa Italiana, Milwaukee’s annual celebration of Italian heritage, fills the lakefront’s Maier Festival Park with sights, sounds and aromas Friday through Sunday.
Here are 10 suggestions for enjoying Festa:
1. Listen to headliners KC and Sunshine Band (the disco stars behind “Get Down Tonight”) at 9 p.m. Saturday, and country singer Phil Vassar at 9 p.m. Sunday.
2. Watch the Flag-Throwers of Sermoneta, Italy, in a performance with roots going back a thousand years. They perform each day of the festival.
3. Enjoy a Venetian-style gondola ride ($25 per person, $30 per couple).
4. Bring your children to the parade, which begins at 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday on the north end of the grounds. They can march alongside Pinocchio, Geppetto and other stars. Read the details at festaitaliana .com/activities/parade.
5. Watch the “Italian Idol” singing competition nightly at 8:30 p.m. A new wrinkle this year: Finalists Sunday evening will be asked to perform a song by Lady Gaga (whose euphonious original name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta).
6. Fireworks Fireworks start approximately 10:45 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday nights.
7. Salute the late restaurateur and Italian-American community figure Joe Bartolotta during special cooking demonstrations at 1:30 and 4:15 p.m. Saturday by Bartolotta chefs.
8. Taste something from a new vendor, like a muffuletta from Milk Bottle Bakery, or from a returning favorite, such as meat-filled arancini (rice balls) from Peter Sciortino Bakery.
9. Sample some of Festa’s wide variety of musical entertainment, including stringed warriors Femmes of Rock at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Italian-American songbird Jenna Esposito each day of the festival and The Sicilian Tenors at 5 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday. (Sicilian Tenor Aaron Caruso will sing a solo show 1 p.m. Friday.)
10. A Catholic Mass begins at 11 a.m. Sunday in the BMO Harris Pavilion. Gates open at 10:15 a.m. Admission to the Mass is free; Hunger Task Force is encouraging non-perishable donations of peaches and pears in 100% juice.