Celebrate Italy At Southington Festival

SOUTHINGTON, CT — Starting Friday, July 29, and continuing through the weekend, Lower Center Street in Southington won't be in Connecticut — at least for about three days.

Rather, this part of town might as well be nestled snuggly beneath the Alps in Central Europe, in a country known for some seriously good food, music and an iconic geographic footprint.

Southington will become Italy, courtesy of the annual Southington Italian-American Festival, an annual celebration of Italian culture hosted by the locally-based "Sons of Italy," a civic group that is all about what its name suggests.

One look at the menu of food expected to be sold is enough to make anyone skip a home-cooked meal and journey out to Lower Center Street.

From pasta fagioli to soffritto to Italian sausage and pepper grinders, this event will fill stomachs regardless of anyone's ethnic heritage.

And when the main courses are complete, there's a whole helping of Italian deserts available, from gelato to lemon ice to mouth-watering Italian pastries.

The event days and hours are:

• Friday, July 29, 5 to 10 p.m. (with a fireworks show planned for 9:15 p.m.)

• Saturday, July 30, 5 to 10 p.m.

• Sunday, July 31, noon to 5 p.m. (with an Italian Mass starting at 10 a.m. and a procession at 11 a.m.)

Meanwhile, the Southington Police Department has announced that detours will be in place so motorists can navigate the festival area, as road closures are expected.

Because of Friday night's fireworks show, the Mill Street Dog Park will be closed starting on noon and it will reopen Saturday, according to police.

Meanwhile, the rails-to-trails path will be closed fom Kane Street to Center Street during the fireworks, police said.

Should a rain date be required regarding fireworks, all fireworks detours and times are applicable to Saturday, July 30, though the weather forecast appears favorable.

For more information on the Southington-Italian American Festival, click on this link.

For more information on Southington Police Department detours and road closures associated with the event, click on this link.