17th Annual San Diego Sicilian Festival in the Heart of Little Italy
Where: Little Italy on Date Street between Kettner and State streets Downtown SD, San Diego, CA 92101
Age Suitability: 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12, 12 and up
By: Eventful
The music, dance, culture and cuisine of Sicily come to the streets of San Diego's Little Italy on Sunday, May 23, 2010, 10 am-6 pm, as part of the 17th Annual Sicilian Festival celebration on India Street.
The highly popular FREE family event features authentic Sicilian food and entertainment, surrounded by the colorful ambiance of San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood, located within walking distance of the beautiful San Diego Harbor and within minutes of San Diego's vibrant downtown district.
Four stages will feature a wide variety of Sicilian and Italian entertainment. At noon, a parade of dozens of costumed dancers, musicians, and representatives of the Italian organizations in San Diego will waltz through the streets carrying flags from the different regions of Sicily and Italy.
Food booths will line the streets to satisfy the hungry crowds by serving up authentic Sicilian cuisine. Tarantino's Sausages will be on hand to offer their renowned gourmet sausage sandwiches, joining many of Little Italy's restaurants that will present their own Sicilian culinary specialties. Festival visitors will also be able to relax at a wine and beer garden, or shop among the many booths offering Italian-themed artifacts and services.
The Sicilian Festival is the perfect venue for families with children. All children's activities are FREE, and include a large inflatable slide, puppet theatre shows, face painting, children song and dance productions, and many other activities to keep the bambini entertained throughout the day--without emptying their parents' pocketbooks!.
People will be literally dancing in the streets, and no wonder. The event features the nationally acclaimed Roman Holiday Ensemble (http://www.romanholidaymusic.com) whose repertoire includes Italian and Sicilian music as well as swinging Sinatra and Louie Prima shows. Featured vocalists, many directly from Sicily, will entertain the crowds with everything from Sicilian Swing to Sicilian Jazz, as well as with Sicilian and Italian traditional and folkloristic melodies.
A Sicilian cultural tent will feature photo and cultural displays by local authors and artisans that reflect the Sicilian American heritage in San Diego. The area will also feature displays of such venerable Sicilian traditions as fish net repair, embroidery, produce and fish markets, chalk art, and more, organized by the ConVivio Society of San Diego.
The Little Italy neighborhood of downtown San Diego has become one of the most desirable urban communities in the nation. With a perfect mix of Old World charm and an avant-guarde chic, it appeals to people of all ages.
FREE PARKING AND SHUTTLE are available. Park in the NORTH lot of the County Administration Building and look for the double-decker bus that will take you to the Festival. The convenient and comfortable San Diego Trolley stops within one block of the Festival.
For more information, log onto the Sicilian Festival website at http://www.sicilianfesta.com. For information on San Diego's Little Italy, log onto the web site at http://www.littleitalysd.com.
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