Summertime has arrived and with it a constant flurry of activity. Festivals celebrating beer, music, and food abound throughout 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, affectionately 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 organizations 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 contributions 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 decorate 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 compete. An Italian movie night occurs midweek at a local cinema.
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 features opera performed by local talent, followed by a rousing night of Italian bands and dancing under the stars. The fun continues on Friday and Saturday as visitors, volunteers, and entertainers fill the Square. Grape stomp competitions, cannoli eating 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 gathering 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 productive Italian community that enjoys and celebrates its heritage.”
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 culture as their parents and grandparents. Entertainment chair, Lucia Galizia, constantly interviews new bands and entertainers to appeal to a broader audience.
Chatten Hayes joined the committee in 2010 and developed sustainable practices for the Festa. During the Festa, she works in the background, making sure that the event generates as little trash as possible. Even leftover restaurant food is donated 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 philosophical view. “I became involved because it was my long-time goal to see local Italian-American organizations unite in a common effort to promote 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.
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