Festa Italiana, Bradford’s annual Italian heritage festival, has
come full circle and is slowly changing hands from one generation
to the next.

Festa committee publicist Ann DeLucia said Sunday that Italian
wedding soup will be available for the first time this year as part
of the food, fun, friendship and familia celebrated on the same
weekend every year in Bradford.

The new dish illustrates changes with volunteer membership for
Festa Italiana, DeLucia said. This year, the duties have been split
so that some of the older volunteers can supervise and make sure
the younger volunteer will eventually be able to take over the
trade.

“We’re not always apt to admit it,” DeLucia laughed, “but if
this (Festa) is going to continue in any form, we need help.”

The ribbon pastries, for example, are being made this year in
two sessions, with “the younger women making them on Saturday,”
DeLucia said, “and us older ladies on Monday.” She mentioned it is
harder for the younger volunteers with regular jobs to help on
weekdays.

“The men started to make meatball mixtures today,” she said
Sunday, adding the activity was being “supervised by the ones with
more experience, allowing some of the workload to be done by
members of the (La Stella) Lodge.”

The running of the game and ticket booths is more and more done
by young people and youth groups, DeLucia added.

And not a moment too soon, as it appears that Bradford’s Festa
Italiana is as well attended and enjoyed by area residents
-ðItalian and non-Italian alike -ðas ever.

DeLucia said last year organizers ran out of a lot of the foods
Friday night due to the large crowd. On Saturday, however, when
they prepared food for another huge crowd, an electrical storm
deterred many festival-goers, leaving them with way too many
leftovers. This year, they are going to be more cautious when
preparing food for the next day, she said.

Committee members celebrated 25 years of Festa Italiana last
year, although some say traces of Italian heritage festivals go
back in Bradford much farther.

DeLucia said the festival was started in Bradford in the 1920s
by resident Mike Rich, who most likely was homesick for his native
land – Italy. Each village in Italy has a patron saint, and the
patron saint of Rich’s was St. Rocco, whose day is celebrated Aug.
15. Rich’s festival for St. Rocco was like all festivals, filled
with food, games, music and fireworks. That era, however,
reportedly ended with the beginning of World War II.

John Lombardi of Rochester Street told The Era just prior to the
opening of Festa Italiana during the summer of 2001, that the
festival was based on a Roman Catholic holiday -ðthe Assumption of
the Blessed Virgin Mary – on Aug. 15. In Italy, the holiday is
marked with a three-day festival, including a parade of a statute
of the Virgin down the city streets. Townspeople participate in the
procession, which is headed by a priest and accompanied by the
police, Lombardi had said, bringing gifts of food, animals, and
even gold, for the Blessed Mother. He added the celebrations in
Italy also include games and music.

DeLucia said an Italian heritage festival was resurrected in
Bradford in 1971, when resident Dave Kreinson, director of plans
for the Bradford Centennial celebration, invited the LaStella Lodge
to participate.

“There was a large community of Italian origin,” DeLucia told
The Era recently. “They and their immigrant ancestors were part of
Bradford’s growth. That first small celebration was the beginning
of the present Festa.”

Throughout the years, there were many lodge and auxiliary
members involved. Then, more and more, volunteers became the
norm.

“Not of Italian origin, wanting to be included,” DeLucia said.
“That is partnership.”

And as the success grows, so do the profits. That money goes
into a starter fund for the next year. The remainder, after the
bills are paid, goes to local organizations.

“Now the circle is complete,” DeLucia said. “By the community,
for the community.”

The festival will be held on Festa Way, formerly Webster Street,
on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Two buildings -ðthe LaStella
Lodge and St. Bernard Auditorium -ðare commandeered for the
weekend, and used to cook and serve the traditional Italian dishes,
desserts and beverages. The food booths will be on both sides of
the Lodge, with main dishes on one side, and sweets prepared by
auxiliary members on the other.

In addition to the new Italian wedding soup, the menu includes
Italian sausage sandwiches with peppers and onions, meatballs, hot
dogs, pasta e fagioli, rigatoni, pizza, eggplant sandwiches, ice
cream, cannoli, fried dough, ribbon pastries and cookies.

Dining areas will be set up around the food booths as well as in
a section of the Lisa’s Hairport parking area. Game booths and
children’s rides will be adjacent to the parking lot of Tops
Friendly Markets.

Entertainment and bleachers are at the one end of Festival Way,
and the beer tent will be alongside the wall of St. Bernard School
auditorium. Identification is required to purchase beer at the beer
tent, DeLucia said, adding ID bracelets will be distributed this
year to better monitor alcohol sales.

Organizers ask that residents help make Festa successful and
safe by leaving their bicycles, skateboards and pets at home.

On Thursday, from 6 to 7 p.m., the Bob Lucia Band will play.
Opening ceremonies are set for 7 p.m. The band will play again
after the ceremony until 10 p.m. Some food booths will open at 4
p.m.

On Friday, Michael’s Magic, featuring a children’s contest and
prizes, gets under way at 2:30 p.m. Children’s rides will run from
noon to 9 p.m., and at 7 p.m., music will be provided by “4 Jays.”
Food booths will be open from 11 a.m. to close.

On Saturday, children’s rides will run again from noon to 9 p.m.
From 1 to 4 p.m., “Happy Days Band” will perform, and at 6 p.m.,
the “Dick Otto Big Band” will play. Food and game booths will be
open from 11 a.m. to close.

Saturday’s events will conclude, as usual, with a fireworks
display.