Ferragosto takes you to the Roaring Twenties!

Even in a city of neighborhoods, San Diego’s Little Italy stands out. The influence of Italian culture and the strong bonds of community can still be felt today, carried on through the years from the first Italian immigrants to the vibrant and growing neighborhood of today. Little Italy’s character blends the old and the new like few others and that same spirit of old and new combined is celebrated in the Ferragosto charitable gala in Little Italy.

 

Developed as a fundraising gala to benefit some of the most important institutions in the Little Italy neighborhood, the Ferragosto event has grown in just a few years into the largest themed Italian American gala in the nation. Organized by the Nuova Gen committee and their chairman Luke Vinci, the key for making Ferragosto successful each year has been community involvement.

 

Forging a partnership between the Little Italy Association, Washington Elementary and Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic church, the event encompasses the most significant parts of the neighborhood. Vinci described it up as “Ferragosto bringing out the best of Little Italy, while at the same time bringing the best of Little Italy together”. In uniting the economic, educational and religious centers of the community, Vinci and the Nuova Gen, have crafted an event that both celebrates the Little Italy community as well as raising funds to support it.

 

With each new installment of the event Ferragosto has chosen a new theme and taken attendees back in time to significant eras in Italian history. For the inaugural event in 2010, partygoers were transported to the glories of Ancient Rome with parades of centurions, marble statues and classical decorations transforming Amici Park into the Eternal City. The next year, Ferragosto brought a Venetian Masquerade to downtown San Diego featuring jugglers, stilt walkers, a three story clock tower recreation and even a canal and gondola.

 

Looking towards the future, this year’s upcoming event, Ferragosto: The Roaring 20’s is the third installment of the gala and takes attendees back to the 1920’s and the days of glitz and glamor. With over $100,000 raised in past events and this year’s event looking to be bigger than ever, we hope to see you there.

 

For more information please feel free to visit the site at http://ferragostosd.org/ or call (619) 234-4820