Sometime around 1866 Raphael Massoni emigrated from a small village in Italy to Wayne County, Ohio, and the rest, as tis said, is history. That history is a rich story of what became an entire community of Italians who settled the area and created their own Little Italy in Wooster.
So many of Woosters Italian descendants have family from the tiny Italian village of Collepietro in the province of LAquila, region of Abruzzo, Italy, so in 2004 the city of Wooster signed an informal resolution declaring Collepietro and Wooster to henceforth be known as Sister Cities.
Now 150 years after the first Italian arrived to call Wayne County his home, Wooster will celebrate its Italian heritage at the eighth biennial Festa Italiana. On Saturday, Aug. 13 downtown Wooster will be transformed into a festive Italian village with literally something for everyone.
Theres something at the Festa geared toward every age group, said Kathy Costello, co-chairperson of the event. We honor the seniors, and we have a great play area for the kids with activities and entertainment for everyone in between.
The Festa opens with a traditional mass at the gazebo at 11 a.m. The day will include everything from a meatball-eating contest, to a cornhole tournament, to an amateur winemaking competition. Italian foods will be readily available including a huge bake sale of traditional Italian desserts. Harry Thomasetti, chairperson of the Festa, said, We call everyone we can think of in the area who makes authentic Italian sweets.
New this year, weve added food that you would find at the festivals in Italy: street food, Thomasetti said. We try to keep it fresh and keep offering new things. There also are cooking demonstrations held at Todays Kitchen Store for those whod like to learn to make some Italian creations of their own.
The Festa has a never-ending line-up of musical entertainment on board including local favorite Reddy Freddy and Natural Wonder, a Stevie Wonder tribute band. There also is an Italian heritage booth where local historians will be available to offer guidance to those wishing to learn more about their Italian heritage. Last time we had people coming from all over the area to talk with the folks at the booth, Thomasetti said.
The day includes recognition of recipients of the 2016 Amici Italiana scholarship award. Amici Italiana was formed 16 years ago by a group of local residents of Italian descent. The group decided to offer annual scholarships for education beyond high school. Over the years over $45,000 has been awarded to area students.
Festa Italiana grew out of the Amici Italiana group as an event to share Italian culture, foods, music and fun with the community and to increase their ability to give back. We have donated to Ida Sue and People to People and other groups, Costello said. Festa Italiana is a nonprofit organization, so all donations are tax deductible.
Many area residents, Italian and non-Italian alike, have travelled to Collepietro and other Italian villages. Kathy and Harry smiled and laughed as they recounted tales of the trips. The whole village comes out to meet us when we arrive in a small town, Costello said. Once we had an entire restaurant to ourselves. It was up a hill too steep for the bus, so the owners drove down the hill to pick up those in the group who couldnt make the walk. We ate. We sang. We danced... We didnt speak Italian, and they didnt speak English, but it didnt matter.
The trip has become a regular part of Festa Italiana. At each Festa a drawing is held for two free tickets to go on the trip. Your odds are way better than the lottery, said Thomasetti, explaining that only 600 tickets are sold. Tickets cost $25 each or three for $60. The trip is worth nearly $8,000 and may be transferred or sold. Tickets may be purchased in advance or at the Festa up until the drawing is held.
Thomasetti said, Everything we do at the Festa is to promote the scholarship fund and help the community. How do they make it happen? Costello explained, Everyone is a volunteer and is committed to the goal of raising enough money for the scholarships and community groups, doing community service and promoting Italian heritage.
A complete schedule and listing of entertainment, activities and vendors for Woosters Festa Italiana 2016 can be found at www.festaitalianawooster.com. The event is free.
For advance purchase of raffle tickets or to make a donation, send a check made payable to Festa Italiana to Harry Thomasetti, 312 Meadow Lane, Wooster, OH 44691. Credit card purchases may be made in person at the Festa.
