L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014 www.italoamericano.com L'Italo-Americano 9 Summertime has arrived and with it a constant flurry of activi- ty. Festivals celebrating beer, music, and food abound through- out Portland, but the best of them all - at least for the Italian community - is the Festa Italiana! This year marks its 23rd year. In 1991, Portland was still celebrating its new Pioneer Courthouse Square, affectionate- ly known as "Portland's Living Room," and wanted more events to fill its calendar. The Square, built in 1984, covers an entire city block and has become a community gathering space, much like a piazza in Italian cities. Representatives contacted leaders in the Italian community and asked them to plan an Italian event in the Square. For years, local Italian-American organiza- tions had been seeking a means to unify local Italian-Americans who were living in every corner of the metropolitan area. This was the impetus they needed. A committee formed as the Festa Italiana Association with a goal to promote Italian culture and celebrate the unique contribu- tions that Italians have made in our community. "With the help of Pioneer Square we had the chance to unite and share Italian culture with Portland," remembers Joe Castellano, president of the Festa Association. "In Italy, the piazza is the center of all celebrations and we had the opportunity to share that cultural experience with Portland." Festa Italiana has become an institution in Portland, drawing tens of thousands of visitors from around the world each August. "When we first started there was no money for anything," Castellano laughs. "Our clubs and families got together to dec- orate and prepare the Square for the festival. We would be there late into the evening trying to set things up and put on a good face for the city." Festa Italiana is actually a week of events leading up to the 3-day festival in Pioneer Courthouse Square. The week begins on Saturday night with a Mass celebrated in Italian at St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, the National Italian Parish of Portland. A reception follows the Mass featuring homemade Italian cookies and pastries. On the following day, a bocce tournament takes place at Club Paesano Cedarville Park with teams from around the Northwest signing up to com- pete. An Italian movie night occurs midweek at a local cine- ma. The Festa really comes alive on Thursday afternoon when the food courts and wine gardens open in the Square to the sound of live music. The evening fea- tures opera performed by local talent, followed by a rousing night of Italian bands and danc- ing under the stars. The fun con- tinues on Friday and Saturday as visitors, volunteers, and enter- tainers fill the Square. Grape stomp competitions, cannoli eat- ing contests, pizza tosses and marionette performances round out the weekend. What is Festa Italiana? It all depends on who you talk to. Most will say it is a great gather- ing to meet family and friends. To some it is an escape to enjoy a memory of Italy, a vacation dream, or a childhood memory. There are those that just come for the Italian food, wine, music and dancing. "I can't tell you how many people come up to me and tell me the experiences they or their family have had at prior Festas," says Castellano. "From wedding proposals to family reunions, people look forward to our Festa. It has reminded Portland that there still is a large and produc- tive Italian community that enjoys and celebrates its her- itage." In recent years, Festa has adapted to meet a changing crowd. Younger generations of Italian-Americans don't share the same interest in early Italian cul- ture as their parents and grand- parents. Entertainment chair, Lucia Galizia, constantly inter- views new bands and entertainers to appeal to a broader audience. Chatten Hayes joined the committee in 2010 and devel- oped sustainable practices for the Festa. During the Festa, she works in the background, mak- ing sure that the event generates as little trash as possible. Even leftover restaurant food is donat- ed to local homeless shelters; it is another way that the Festa gives back to the community. Julia Loyacano is a charter member of the Festa Italiana Association and has served on the Mass committee for many years. "I love being part of the Festa. I have made many good friends and get to enjoy this time with them." Another charter member, Remo Minato, has a more philo- sophical view. "I became involved because it was my long-time goal to see local Italian-American organizations unite in a common effort to pro- mote and coordinate a cultural celebration as a gift to the people of Portland so that they could share the beauty of the Italian culture." You don't have to be an Italian or Italian-American to enjoy the Festa. Try the pasta, pizza, maybe a cannoli or gelato. All we ask is that you come and have a great time in the Piazza! All events are free admission. See www.festa-italiana.org for more information. MICHAel sCIARAFFo Mary Rossetto, Theresa Rossetto Berney and daughter Emma join in the Chicken Dance at Festa Italiana Italian Community Comes Alive During the Annual Festa Italiana Aug. 10, Sun. – Italian Hour on KBOO 90.7 FM from 9:00 to 10:00am. Contemporary and classic Italian music, featuring news of the local Italian community. Listen online at www.kboo.fm Aug. 12, Tues. – Italian Businessmen's Club meeting at 6:30pm at DeNicola's Italian Restaurant, 3520 SE Powell Blvd. in Portland. For information, contact Robert Iannacone at robert202@comcast.net, or Guido LaCesa at oaktreelo@aol.com Aug. 14, Thurs. - Vancouver USA Sons of Italy meeting at Family of Christ Lutheran Church, 3500 NW 129th St., Vancouver, WA. Dinner at 6:30 pm; meeting starts at 7:30pm. Contact Barbara Blair (360) 253-7984 for more information. Aug. 15, Fri. – Ferragosto in Piazza at Cannery Square, 15601 SW Willamette Street in Sherwood. Italian Marketplace opens at 4:00pm; movie night begins at 8:00pm. For more information, contact Tonya Russo Hamilton at hamilton.tonya68@gmail.com Aug. 16, Sat. – Festa Italiana Mass in Italian at 7:00pm, St. Michael's Catholic Church, 424 SW Mill Street in Portland. Reception follows with homemade Italian cookies. For more information, contact Barbara Blair at (360) 253-7984. Aug. 17, Sun. – Festa Italiana Bocce Tournament at Cedarville Park, 3800 E. Powell Loop in Gresham. Bocce starts at 9:00am; food and beverages available. For informa- tion and team entry, contact Mario Pompei at mpompei2@aol.com Aug. 19. Tues. – Festa Italiana Movie Night, presenting "Il Comandante e la Cicogna" at 5th Avenue Cinema, 510 SW Hall Street in Portland. Movie begins at 7:00pm. For infor- mation, contact Barbara Blair at (360) 253-7984. Aug. 21, 22, 23, Thurs. thru Sat. – Festa Italiana in Pioneer Courthouse Square in downtown Portland at corner of SW 6th and Morrison Street. Live music, dancing, marionettes, grape stomping, cannoli eating contest, food courts, wine and beer gardens, fun for the whole family. All events are free to the public! Open each day from 11am to 11pm. To see the entire schedule, go to www.festa-italiana.org August 24, Sun. – Italian Hour on KBOO 90.7 FM from 9:00 to 10:00am. Contemporary and classic Italian music, featu- ring news of the local Italian community. Listen online at www.kboo.fm Ferragosto in Wine Country The Italian national holiday Ferragosto lands on August 15, marking the start of Italy's vaca- tion period. You will find most businesses closing up shop and Italians heading to the coast en masse. Historically, Ferragosto dates back to Emperor Augustus in 18 BC. The word ferragosto origi- nates from the Latin term, Feriae Augusti, meaning "Augustus' rest." Emperor Augustus intro- duced Ferragosto to already existing Roman festivals that highlighted the end of the har- vest season, and the beginning of a time to rest and enjoy the fruits of one's labors. In Italy, there are celebrations aplenty in many towns on and around this day, which feature music, food, parades, and fire- toNyA Russo HAMIltoN works. This year the town of Sherwood is bringing a taste of this Italian holiday to local resi- dents. The Sherwood Cultural Arts Commission is collaborat- ing with local businesses, Italian Portland, and Accademia Italiana di Lingua e Cultura to present Ferragosto Sherwood. Sherwood is located in the heart of Oregon's beautiful wine country, just 15 miles south of Portland. The event will include Italian food, gelato, traditional Italian cookies, hearth style breads, Italian jewelry, coffee, music and entertainment, games and crafts for the kids and an Italian olive oil symposium put on by Rebecca Ponzi of the Ponzi wine family. She will be sharing her new Casal Cristiana Italian Olive Oil venture, which includes growing, harvesting, and bottling Italian extra virgin olive oil in Torre di Palme, Italy. As well as selling bottles of her beautiful Italian olive oil, Rebecca will be offering sam- ples with hard-crusted Italian bread. Ferragosto Sherwood opens on Friday August 15, from 4:00- 7:30pm in Old Town Sherwood at Cannery Square, located at 15601 SW Willamette Street. Sherwood has a rich Italian his- tory of onion farming in the area, really prospering around the turn of the 20th century when the Italian farmers who had settled there made onions the area's biggest export crop. The onion farms are gone now but the memory lingers on in other celebrations, particularly the big Onion Festival held every October.

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