San Pedro’s Little Italy Hosts Festa Italiana
San Pedrans got together to celebrate everything and everyone Italian at the Festa Italiana on Oct. 2. The free, outdoor street fair provided space for local vendors selling Italian treats, beer and wine, as well as live performances.
Officially, the festival was celebrating the start of Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month, which was first celebrated in 1989. The heritage month is in October to coincide with Columbus Day, the American national holiday traditionally celebrated on Oct. 12, now celebrated on the second Monday in October.
From the designation of Peppertree Plaza in San Pedro as Little Italy to Festa Italiana has been Councilman Joe Buscaino’s passion project over his last term in office.
As in many major cities across the United States, Italian immigrants played an integral role in shaping Los Angeles. Italian immigrants started arriving in Los Angeles in the early 19th century, spreading their influence on neighborhoods in the form of restaurants, storefronts and the waterfront.