June 1 & 2, 2024
McKee Farms Park, Fitchburg!
Admission & Raffle
Admission is $7.
Children 12 and under are FREE!
Parking is FREE with shuttles from several parking areas.
No Pets Allowed
Raffle
1st Prize: $1,500 CASH
2nd Prize: $1,000 CASH
3rd Prizes: 10 – $100 Cash prizes
Raffle tickets may be purchased for $10 each, or 3 for $25. You do not need to be present to win!
2024 Schedule of Events:
| Saturday June 1 | 11:00 | Welcome – Festa Opens |
| 11:00 – 8:00 | Pasta Dinner | |
| 11:15 – 11:45 | Scholarship Presentations (IWC & IAWC) | |
| 11:30 | Bocce Tournament – Singles | |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | Cooking Demo in Culture Tent TBD | |
| 12:15 – 1:00 | Italian Folk Dancers Of Madison | |
| 1:00 – 1:30 | Pasta Eating Contest – Ms. Festa Hosts | |
| 1:00 – 1:45 | Origins Of Madison’s Italian Colony in Culture Tent | |
| 1:45 – 2:30 | IWC & IAWC Member Recognition | |
| 2:00 – 4:00 | Jim Giacalone (Roving accordian) | |
| 3:00 – 4:00 | Fitchburg City Bocce Challenge | |
| 3:00 – 4:30 | Joe Scalissi | |
| 5:00 – 6:30 | John Masino Band | |
| 7:00 – 9:30 | Purple Veins | |
| 10:00 | Festa Closes | |
| Sunday June 2 | 10:00 | Mass in Culture Tent |
| 11:00 | Welcome – Festa Opens | |
| 11:30 – 5:30 | Pasta Dinner | |
| 11:30 | Bocce Tournament – Doubles | |
| 11:30 – 12:15 | Cooking Demo in Culture Tent – Braciole | |
| 12:30 – 1:15 | Origins Of Madison’s Italian Colony in Culture Tent | |
| 12:30 – 2:30 | Soccer Skills – Forward Madison FC | |
| 1:15 – 2:00 | Flags of Italy Parade & Presentation | |
| 2:30 – 4:00 | Gerri DiMaggio | |
| 4:30 – 6:30 | VO5 | |
| 6:00 | Raffle Drawing – Ms. Festa Hosts | |
| 7:00 | Festa Closes | |
| Children’s Entertainment! | ||
| Saturday June 1 | Noon-5:00 | Toss Games and Prizes! |
| 2:00-4:00 | Face Art by Karen | |
| 3:00-5:00 | Wayne the Wizard Strolling Magic & Balloon Sculpting | |
| Sunday June 2 | Noon-5:00 | Toss Games and Prizes! |
| 2:00-4:00 | Face Art by Karen | |
| 2:00-2:30 | Magic Show, Wayne the Wizard | |
| 2:30-4:00 | Wayne the Wizard Balloon Sculpting | |
| 4:00-4:30 | Magic Show, Wayne the Wizard | |
Please Support our Event Sponsors
Dr Robert Bradley
Capital City Tent Rental
Jerry’s Camping Center
North Country Carts
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Festa Italia History
One of many legacies in the annals of the Italian Workmen’s Club will forever be the unforgettable Festa Italia. Grown and nourished from a healthy past of innocently planned picnics held at a variety of Madison locations, the celebration of our ethnicity grew into an undeniable weekend of pride today known as Madison ’s Premier Ethnic Festival.
The memories of longtime members and residents will quickly carry them back to Olin and Hoyt parks, to name just a few, but for me growing up in the 1940s, the place to be was at Brittingham Park in a blaze of verde, bianca, and russo, the green, white, and red of Italian flags furling where a park was accented with colored Indian blankets spread over the grass, and chairs were set up under the trees to encourage family and friends to gather throughout the day and into evening hours with picnic baskets packed with homemade food.
The Italian Workmen’s Club and Festa Italia welcome the support of businesses sponsoring this event!