Little Italy Days

Bloomfield
August 17—20
Various times

What’s 10 football fields long, filled with mouth-watering food and vino and molto favoloso (read: very fabulous)?

For four delicious days and nights, Pittsburgh’s largest heritage festival will span the city’s own “little Italy” neighborhood along the Liberty Avenue commercial corridor in Bloomfield.

Pittsburgh’s 16th annual Little Italy Days kicks off August 17 with a celebrity bocce game featuring iconic athletes Franco Harris, Bruno Sammartino and Ray “Boom-Boom” Mancini, who will be joined by local politicians and media personalities.

One of the East Coast’s largest Italian festivals, the event will roll out an expanded footprint, including three stages featuring 20-plus live acts and entertainers. Featured performers include Rome-based opera singer Marco Fiorante, vocalist Jimmy Sapienza, bands The Jersey Four and Magic Moments.

Stroll the avenue Roman-style, as you sample scrumptious authentic Italian fare, sway to lively music, watch a pasta eating contest and more.

Cheer on competitors in the Little Miss Italy pageant and Italian Idol contest, enjoy family time in the Kids Zone and take a thrilling ride on the new Giant Gondola Wheel.

For more Italian pride, head to the Little Italy Days Festival in Butler, PA on September 1-4.

For more events, go here.

Jennifer has worked at the Mattress Factory, Brooklyn Museum of Art and Dahesh Museum of Art and is co-author of Pittsburgh Signs Project: 250 Signs of Western Pennsylvania. She also is co-coordinator of Handmade Arcade. Musically, she is in a band called The Garment District and is a founding member of Brooklyn's The Ladybug Transistor.