Greeks have their food festival. Puerto Ricans have their parade.
Now Italians will have their day — hopefully in the sun.
Lancaster's Rosa Rosa Ristorante Italiano hopes to launch an annual event with its first-ever Italian festival, Sunday, Aug. 26.
The rain-or-shine festival, set for 11 a.m. to midnight in Rosa Rosa's rear parking lot, will feature food, music and activities to entertain — and educate — an audience of all ages.
"We like to do what's traditional," restaurant owner Giovanni Di Somma says. "This way they can see a little of the Italian traditions."
Two years ago, Di Somma and his wife Maria opened Rosa Rosa, an upscale Italian eatery named for his grandmother, at 398 Harrisburg Ave.
The Di Sommas, natives of Naples, Italy, also own the more casual My Place Pizza/Rosa Rosa Cafe, a few blocks down the street.
Rosa Rosa's new general manager, Steve Allegretti, was the driving force behind the festival. He'd attended similar events in other cities, like Las Vegas and New York.
Allegretti and Di Somma hope the festival will be as successful as the annual Greek Food Bazaar and other local ethnic events.
"There are lots of Italians in Lancaster," Di Somma says. "A lot of people love Italian food."
Festival admission and entertainment are free. A charity to be determined will get the proceeds from food sales and activities.
Di Somma and Allegretti hope to make the festival an annual event, eventually filling a larger venue and spanning several days.
They also want to involve other local Italian restaurants and pizza shops.
"We want it to be Lancaster's," Allegretti says. "We don't want it to be Rosa Rosa's."
Lancaster Mayor — and Italian food aficionado — Rick Gray will cut the ribbon at the festival, which he calls a great addition to the city's growing stable of ethnic restaurants and events.
"When it comes to food, my opinion is Italians have a genetically developed higher sense of taste," Gray says. "... There's no better expression of culture than food."
At the festival, Rosa Rosa will serve authentic Italian fare, including pizza, pasta and sausage, meatball and roasted pork sandwiches. (The restaurant will remain open during the event.)
Lancaster's La Dolce Vita Courthouse Bakery will offer Italian cookies, pastries and cannoli.
"If we start this tradition, it will be really nice," says bakery co-owner Dana Stucchi, a native of Italy.
"We have a lot of people that love Italy, that love Italian food, that come into our shop."
Festival attendees can cool down with gelato or Italian ice and sign up for cannoli- and pasta-eating contests.
Born a Surriento, a band from Italy, will perform. Other entertainment will include jazz musician Keith Mohler, pianist Bryan Davis and progressive rock band Animation, which features a Rosa Rosa waiter.
A boccie tournament will be held on a temporary field constructed on the parking lot. There will also be games, prize raffles, a moon bounce and dunk tank.
"Our goal is to put something in front of Lancaster that hopefully they'll like," Allegretti says.
Planning the event took about three months, he says, with such challenges as liability coverage, a temporary liquor license and a fire-marshal inspection.
Allegretti will begin planning next year's bigger, better festival right after this one wraps up — and he takes a vacation.
"It's pretty much just a day of fun," he says. "I'd be happy it if doesn't rain."
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
WHAT: Italian Fest
WHERE: Rear parking lot of Rosa Rosa Ristorante Italiano, 398 Harrisburg Ave., Lancaster
WHEN: 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday, Aug. 26
DETAILS: Italian food, music and games
COST: Admission is free. Proceeds from food sales and activities go to charity.
INFO: Call 509-3970.
o CONTACT US: mschweigert@LNPnews.com or 291-8757 
