Festa Italia Brings Italian Culture to Plano

If you love Italian food and culture, you might want to mark your calendar for June 13^th. On this day, the Italian Club of Dallas will host its Festa Italia Italian Festival and Bocce Tournament in Plano, Texas.

For many, one of the major highlights of the Festa Italia festival is the food and wine. In addition to being able to sample Italian food from some of the area’s best restaurants and specialty stores, the festival will also feature olive oil testing and opportunities to purchase Italian beer and wine by the glass or by the bottle.

In addition to sampling wines, participants can also get a first-hand experience with making wine by participating in the event’s Grape Stomp. As part of this event, three-person teams work to squeeze out as much juice as possible from 15 pounds of grapes. Each team has just four minutes to jump in a barrel to stomp the grapes. Only one person is allowed to stomp at a time and all participants must be 18-years-old or older. To participate in the event, each team must complete a waiver and pay a $45 fee. Heats will take place from 12:30 pm to 6:04 pm, with each heat lasting four minutes. Prizes will be awarded for each heat.

The Bocce tournament is another major draw to the Festa Italia. Registration for the Bocce tournament takes place at 8:30 with the 32-team tournament beginning at 9:00. Each team will consist of two people, with the entry fee being $200 per team. The fee includes the cost of two t-shirts and two seats at the Pre-Tournament Dinner, which takes place on Thursday, June 11^th. The fourth place team receives a set of bocce balls while the third place team wins $250. The second place team receives $750 and the first place team gets a $1,000 prize.

Enjoy Italian Food, Wine and Family-Friendly Activities at Festa Italia

For those who want to learn a bit more about the Italian culture, the festival will also include authentic Italian folk dancing. Performances will be provided throughout the day by the adult I Colori Italiani and children I Piccoli’s Colori dance groups. Classic Italian cars will also be on display as part of the festival’s car show. In addition to having the opportunity to see the cars, festival-goers can talk to the owners to learn more about performance and other specifics.

The little ones can also find plenty to do at Festa Italia. While they may not participate in the bocce tournament, they will have the opportunity to learn how to play the game. They can also burn off some energy in the bounce house or by playing old Italian children’s games. Face painters and balloon artists will also be available.

The Festa Italia festival is sponsored by The Italian Club of Dallas. Founded in 1977, the non-profit organization strives to preserve and promote Italian culture, history, traditions and language. The club consists of recent immigrants from Italy as well as the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Italian immigrants. The club also welcomes members without Italian ancestry who simply have an appreciation of Italian tradition, food and culture.

The Festa Italia Italian Festival and Bocce Tournament will take place at John Paul II High School. The cost is $5 per adult or $15 for the entire family.

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