Welcome to Grande Italiano! Those are the words that can be heard several times in the city of Wheeling, West Virginia, every year in late July. It’s a big embrace of Italy at the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival!
The festival is in its 25th year and is still going strong. The 3-day event draws more than 200,000 people every year! There is something for everyone, from your 1 years old just learning to walk to your 100 year old grandmother born from the “Old Country” commemorating coming on a boat with Italian immigration to the United States sounded!
The festival began in 1982, closing the main street, one of the busiest streets in the city center, for one weekend in the last part of July. The festival has been moved several times to the growing number of visitors to this picturesque northern West Virginia city. The celebration actually begins weeks and months in advance, with the nomination of the American-Latin citizen of the year. These citizens were selected for the arts in the community last year, based on the scholarship of charity work that the person helped to implement or plan for the youth of the Upper Ohio Valley.
Every year, the election day supports two schools in the high school students neighboring northwest Virginia and eastern Ohio. counties Also added is the scholarship of Mike Simicropi, a highly educated Italian-American man who has lived in the Ohio Valley for more than 50 years.
The festival, famous throughout the United States and Canada, draws a large force of visitors from almost all over the world. state…and you don’t have to be Italian-American to enjoy all that this fun weekend has to offer! People from all ethnic backgrounds enjoy the cuisine, entertainment and other activities that we residents enjoyed 25 years ago. The highly anticipated festival is one of the most important events in the Ohio Valley, and historically, Mother Nature has been good to us over the years. Sure, sometimes it rains during the “preparation”, but even then, everyone still enjoys wandering around with their umbrellas through the various exhibitions. A drop of rain will never hurt anyone!
As previously mentioned, the festival had to move from one street in downtown Wheeling to another area that is larger and better suited to the needs of visitors and the over 100 food and craft booths that are offered each year. The festival is the most popular Italian Festival in West Virginia and the second largest in the United States. This season the festival is being staged in the Heritage Harbor area of Wheeling. This kind of atmosphere is located on the Ohio River and in a large amphitheater, which is host to many other activities. throughout the year, including the Heritage Port Sternwheel Festival and “Wednesday,” a series of free concerts performed by all types of artists, from Big Band to Rock Music.
In 1986, the Superior Italian Heritage Festival, Inc. it was formed to ensure that the festival remained free and open to the public. The festival has many corporate and local sponsors to help with this.
Heritage Port is the ideal location for an Italian festival. Vendors and artisan street stalls sprinkle the neighborhood and the amphitheater provides continuous festivities between meals.
Activities and attractions at the Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival
Liberare il Divertimento Italiano! The food varies from year to year, but it is always sure to please. They are locally and nationally known, including Rat Pack, Live from Las Vegas, Julius LaRosa, and Allegro Company. Dance, which is a group of Italian folk dances. There are also several local guests, providing everything from traditional Italian songs to company music. There are two outdoor stages, the Amphitheater at Port Heritage and a stage set up specially for the Italian Festival in Water Street. Enjoyment on both levels at the same time throughout the weekend.
Arti! That is arts. The festival showcases vendors who sell Italian crafts from paintings to rugs. Some shops are set up so that patrons can also make their own Italian crafts.
Oggetto Esposto di Pasta! That is Pasta Exhibits. Chefs from all over the world come to the Italian festival to try their new creations. The chefs reveal how they make their pasta, and then the best part… Patrons eat their creations!
Alimento Grande! This means Big Food. Obviously, you can’t have an Italian Festival without a variety of well-known (and some not-so-familiar!) Italian dishes to appreciate. From the venerable spaghetti and meatballs to Italy’s richest desert, tiramisu, there really is something for every taste. If you are not very fond of Italian food, there are also many other vendors selling everything from pulled pork to sandwiches with cheese on a stick . One thing is certain: You did not give yourself to the hungry Italians!
Torneo di Bocce! This means Bocce Tournament. Bocce is a game unlike any other. It is similar to bowling, but the goal is not the same. The main purpose of bocce is to roll your bocce court (usually clay) and try to hit your nearest ball. (a smaller ball like a golf ball). The game is played in four teams, and the team that ends up getting their bocce ball closest to the ball wins the point for the round. Pallino is thrown by the team that won the points in the last round. The entry fee for the tournament is $60.00, but the prize ($400.00 and trophy) is well worth it. Anyone can enter the competition, and everyone from startups to self-proclaimed “masters” has the potential to win.
Competizione di Vino! This is a wine producer. A wine connoisseur will be available to preview the different types of wine coming from Italy and to taste some of them too! Part of the competition comes when people enter their homemade wines from all over. Wine experts will judge the wine and be judged on taste, aftertase, and overall quality. The winemaker’s wine competition fee is $10.00 per bottle, and only six bottles of wine are allowed per person. Gold, silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the winners.
Massa all’aperto cattolica! This is the al fresco Roman-Catholic mass celebrated on Sunday morning at the amphitheater. The Mass will be celebrated by the Most Reverend Michael Bransfield, Bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
Many other activities also take place during the Italian festival. For kids (or kids at heart) there is a face painting, a petting zoo, a fun park-type ride; games and fireworks on Saturday night.
The holidays vary from year to year, but the hours remain the same. The Italian Festival is open Friday and Saturday from 11am to 11pm. On Sunday the holiday hours are 11am to 6pm. Guards are also available, from Italian hats, shirts, and watches, to an ethnic Italian apron.
For more information on the festival you can visit their website at www.italyfest.com or call 304-233-1090.
