Portland Festa Italiana set for 2007

The Festa Italiana Association, Inc. announced the dates for this year’s annual celebration as August 18 through August 26.

Catholic Mass in Italian with the Archbishop
Like almost all Italian festivals, a celebratory Mass will begin the festivities on August 18, 7:00 PM in the nostalgic Saint Michael The Archangel Catholic Church in downtown Portland, SW 4th Avenue and Mill Street. Mass will be celebrated in Italian by Most Reverend John G. Vlazny, Archbishop of Portland in Oregon. A reception with Italian delicacies will follow the Mass in the church hall. The public is cordially invited to attend.

Bocce Tournament
On August 19th, Cedarville Park (home of Club Paesano) is the new location for the Festa Bocce Tournament. Located at 3800 W. Powell Loop in Gresham, Oregon the tournament includes teams from the West Coast. This is a great opportunity to experience a genuine Italian sport. Action begins at 9:00 AM and continues until a champion is determined around dusk. Food and drinks are available.

Italian Movie Night
“Festa Night at the Flicks” follows on Tuesday, August 21st showing “Caterina va in città,” an Italian award winning film, at 7:00 PM at the Fifth Avenue Cinema, 510 SW Hall Street in downtown Portland. Free admission highlights this event.

Festa in the Piazza
“Piazza Italia” is created at Pioneer Courthouse Square, SW 6th and Broadway for four days, beginning Thursday, August 23 continuing through Sunday, August 26. “A Concert in the Piazza” comes alive at 7:00 PM on Thursday night with local opera soloists performing arias and ensembles from Italian operas. The food court and wine garden will open at 5:00 PM. An array of local and international entertainment will perform on the stage.

Dance to the music of Italian singers’ and enjoy the strolling accordionists in Piazza Italia. Entertainment continues nonstop through the weekend. Providing Italian food at modest prices are several fine Portland Italian restaurants along with a wine garden featuring Italian wine and beer. Opening ceremonies are at noon on Friday followed by a grape stomp competition and a kid’s pizza toss.

Children will love the marionette show and face painting. A raffle for valuable prizes, which include a trip to Italy and a trip to Hawaii concludes the Festa at 7:00 PM on Sunday evening. There will also be a separate raffle to win an Italian-made Aprilia motor scooter. Italian merchandise booths will also be available throughout the weekend. There is no admission price for this outstanding celebration.

Hours: Thursday 5:00 PM-9:00 PM, Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM -11:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM- 7:15 PM.

The focus of the Festa Italiana Association is to promote and coordinate a cultural celebration annually as a gift to the people of Portland so that they may share the beauty of the Italian culture. This is a family event and opportunity to enjoy Italian music, dancing, food and culture. Nearly 300 volunteers along with several generous sponsors provide for this unique celebration of Italian culture and heritage of Italian-Americans in the Portland metropolitan area. More information can be found on our website, www.festa-italiana.org.

10631 Vinedale Street, Sun Valley, CA 91352 - Phone (818) 767-3413 - Fax: (818) 767-1410