17th Annual Sicilian Festival Brings Art, Cuisine, Music & Culture of Sicily to Little Italy

The music, dance, culture and cuisine of Sicily come to the streets of San Diego's Little Italy on Sunday, May 23, 2010, 10 am-6 pm, as part of the 17th Annual Sicilian Festival celebration on India Street. The highly popular FREE family event features authentic Sicilian food and entertainment, surrounded by the colorful ambiance of San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood, located within walking distance of the beautiful San Diego harbor and within minutes of San Diego's vibrant downtown district. Four stages will feature a wide variety of Sicilian and Italian entertainment.

At noon, a parade of dozens of costumed dancers, musicians, and representatives of the Italian organizations in San Diego will waltz through the streets carrying flags from the different regions of Sicily and Italy. Food booths will line the streets to satisfy the hungry crowds by serving up authentic Sicilian cuisine.

Tarantino's Sausages, the Festival's presenting sponsor, will be on hand to offer their renowned gourmet sausage sandwiches, joining many of Little Italy's restaurants that will offer up their own Sicilian culinary specialties. Festival visitors will also be able to relax at a wine and beer garden, or shop among the many booths offering Italian-themed artifacts and services. New this year is the PUMA SOCCER FAN ZONE. The corner of Beech and India Streets will become a paradise for soc- cer fans during the Sicilian Festival, when Puma and San Diego-retailer Soccer Fanatic bring the excitement of World Cup Soccer home to San Diego.

The Fan Zone will feature hands-on activities and lots of soccer excitement for the entire family. The Sicilian Festival is the perfect venue for families with children. All children's activities are FREE, and include a large inflatable slide, puppet theatre shows, face painting, children song and dance productions, and many other activities to keep the bambini entertained throughout the day--without emptying their parents' pocketbooks!

Returning by popular demand, accordion great Dick Contino will again be featured as the headliner for the 17th Annual Sicilian Festival. The event features the nationally acclaimed Roman Holiday Ensemble whose repertoire includes lively Italian and Sicilian music and dance.

In a salute to the 100th anniversary of Sicilian-American Louie Prima's birth, the popular Screamin Primas band will be on hand to "jump, jive and wail" Prima-style. In addition, featured vocalists, many directly from Sicily, will entertain the crowds with everything from Sicilian swing to Sicilian folklorico to Sicilian jazz, and more. A Sicilian cultural tent will feature photo and cultural displays by local authors and artisans that reflect the Sicilian American heritage in San Diego.

The area will also feature displays of such venerable Sicilian traditions as fish net repair, produce and fish markets, chalk art, and more. A wine vat will also be available for a traditional grape stomp, courtesy of local Sicilian American vintner Bernardo Winery. FREE PARKING is available in the north lot of the County Administration Building on Pacific Highway, with a free shuttle to the festival. In addition, both Amtrak and San Diego Trolley offer visitors excellent public transportation options to the festival site. For more information, log onto the Sicilian Festival website at www.sicilianfesta.com