Newports Festa Italiana Celebrating 25th Year

NEWPORT, RI — Italian-Americans are out in full force in the City By the Sea this weekend, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Newport Festa Italiana. Now a weeks-long celebration, the festival has something for everyone, from a meatball challenge to Columbus Day Mass and a parade.

The festival is a celebration of local Italian heritage and Newport's Italian sister city, Imperia. The combination of similar geography and strong cultural identity has forged a powerful bond.

"Newport Festa Italiana originated as a way to bring together its Italian community to celebrate the accomplishments of Italian-American immigrants and to share all that our Italian heritage has to offer by way of music, food, dance and storytelling," the event's website reads. "Taking place throughout the City of Newport Festa Italiana serves as a way to reunite the many Italians of our community and to welcome visitors from around the world."

The event kicked off Friday with Ziti Night, a pasta dinner at the Middletown Knights of Columbus hall to benefit the Anna M. Ripa Memorial Scholarship Fund.

On Tuesday, the sixth-annual Meatball Challenge will give attendees the chance to sample closely guarded family meatball recipes, including that of last year's champion. Tickets cost $10 each for the event, which will be held at the Edward King House starting at 6 p.m.

Festival events continue through Columbus Day weekend, an important cultural celebration for Italian-Americans. Here's the full schedule:

• Oct. 1: Meatball Challenge
• Oct. 3: Literary Night
• Oct. 5: Festival in the Park
• Oct. 9: Genealogy workshop
• Oct. 11: CineFesta
• Oct. 13: Live Workshop'
• Oct. 14: Roman Catholic Mass and parade, followed by post-parade luncheon

The festival is dedicated to its founders, Robert McKenna, Teresa Trifero and B. Mitchell "Tony" Simpson III. Even if you aren't actually Italian, you're more than welcome to attend.

"Whether you are young or old, a newcomer or a Newport Festa veteran, when you come to Festa, you are treated like famiglia," a message on the website said. :"At Newport Festa Italiana, you are Italian!"