May 30 & May 31, 2026
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!
2026 Schedule of Events:
| Saturday, May 30 | 11:00 | Welcome – Festa Opens |
| 11:00 – 8:00 | Pasta Dinner | |
| 11:30 | Bocce Tournament – Singles | |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Scholarship Presentations (IWC & IAWC) | |
| 12:15 – 12:45 | Italian Folk Dancers Of Madison | |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | Cooking Demo – TBD | |
| 1:00 – 1:45 | Flags Of Italy Parade & Presentation | |
| 2:00 – 2:30 | Pasta Eating Contest – Miss Festa Hosts | |
| 3:00 – 4:30 | Marisa Balistreri  |
|
| 3:30 – 4:30 | City Of Fitchburg Bocce Challenge | |
| 5:00 – 5:45 | Dr. Antonio Re – Volunteering At Winter Olympics | |
| 5:00 – 6:30 | John Masino Band |
|
| 6:30 – 7:30 | Musica Per La Cena | |
| 7:30 – 9:30 | Generation Jones |
|
| 10:30 | Festa Closes | |
| Sunday, May 31 | 10:00 | Mass in Culture Tent |
| 11:00 | Welcome – Festa Opens | |
| 11:30 – 5:30 | Pasta Dinner | |
| 11:30 | Bocce Tournament – Doubles | |
| 11:30 – 12:30 | Musica Per L’ora Di Pranzo | |
| 12:00 – 12:45 | Cooking Demo – Chef Dan Bonanno – Risotto 101 | |
| 12:30 – 2:30 | Soccer Skills – Forward Madison FC | |
| 12:45 – 1:15 | Italian Folk Dancers Of Madison | |
| 1:15 – 1:45 | IWC & IAWC Member Recognition | |
| 2:30 – 4:00 | Joe Scalissi |
|
| 3:45 – 4:30 | Dr. Leanne Puglielli – Tips On Traveling In Italy | |
| 4:30 – 6:30 | VO5 |
|
| 6:00 | Raffle Drawing – Miss Festa Hosts | |
| 6:30 | Festa Closes | |
| Children’s Entertainment! | ||
| Saturday, May 30 | Noon-5:00 | Toss Games and Prizes! |
| 2:00-4:00 | Face Painting by Karen | |
| 3:00-5:00 | Wayne the Wizard Strolling Magic & Balloon Sculpting | |
| Sunday, May 31 | Noon-5:00 | Toss Games and Prizes! |
| 2:00-4:00 | Face Painting 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 | |
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!