The Italian Family Festa San Jose returns for the 36th time this weekend, Aug 27-28. One big change is that it will be held at a new location this year, History Park San Jose (near Kelly Park). Hosted by the Italian American Heritage Foundation, it offers free admission, is open to all and offers food, wine, entertainment, a grape stomp, and more. There’s bocce ball and “bambino” bocce too!
A few words to know:
festa = party
mangia = eat
bocce = a sport somewhat like lawn bowling, but played on gravel or a hard surface, not on grass
(Hope to see you there – I’ve never been, but spent a year of college in Florence, Italy, and traveled around that bel paese, so really feel like I’m an adopted daughter of Italia…. )
Sorry, pets not allowed (service animals ok). Please visit the festival’s website to get ALL the details!
http://www.italianfamilyfestasj.org/
Italian Family Festa San Jose
August 27, 2016 – 11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
August 28, 2016 – 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
NEW LOCATION THIS YEAR for the Italian Family Festa San Jose
History Park San Jose – the history park’s address is technically on Senter, but the entrance is actually 635 Phelan Avenue, San Jose, CA 95112
Some photos from the 2015 Italian Family Festa San Jose:
The new arch to welcome visitors to Little Italy, the original place where Italian Americans settled locally.
It was fun to see the many different regions of Italy represented. (Although I’m not Italian by heritage, I lived and studied in Florence for a year and feel that I’m something of an adopted daughter of that wonderful country.)
Ioli means lace and there was a demonstration and the chance to give lace making a try at the cultural booth. Lace was invented in Italy, near Venice (though it’s now best known in Belgium).
Giardino di Vino, Wine Garden at the 2015 Italian Family Festa San Jose.
Bocce ball – fairly long line to give this age-old sport a try.
View from the Guadalupe River.
