Southington Italian-American Festival Draws 8,000

Another great weekend festival for Southington. If you missed it, see what was happening and who was there. 

Hundreds came and enjoyed a marvelous array of talent performing Italian and American music:  classic pop and show tunes, Italian favorites, operatic areas and more,

Joe LaPorte

“The Southington Italian-American Festival of 2015 was a success.” said festival committee chair, Joe LaPorte. The three-day festival took place on  Center Street decorated with American and Italian flags.  “Visitors numbered about 8,000. many from distances.”

Center Street became an exciting promenade 

Apple Harvest Festival 2015
Hostess, Carson Stifel,
greeting and enjoying the festival 

Srolling along the tented exhibits of two dozen vendors, people  browsed, stopped for a taste of sharp provolone or fresh fruit at the ShopRite booth while reconnecting with friends. There was a sense of honoring the past as folks took in the sights, smells and sounds of the culture and ancestral heritage. 

Children and adults enjoyed the deliciously cool gelato and Italian ices. Many indulged in tasty fried dough treats. Theatre-style seating included chairs in the open and tables under tents. Exciting talent came to the stage Saturday and Sunday entertaining the audience of hundreds with Italian and American music.  Intermissions turned into more festive greetings and foods such as the ever-popular sausage & peppers grinder at the UNICO station and the pasta fagioli and soffrito offered by the Sons of Italy.

The tasty food fest varied along the way with Broccoli rabe & sausage, Paul Gregory’s meatball sliders, pizza, eggplant parmigiana with plenty of hot dogs, burgers and fries, too, plus an ample assortment of cold beverages.  

Sunshine Miss Southington 2015, Madelyn Merryfield, 5 years old,
with sister Alexis (l), 7, and mom Sabrina Merryfield 

Face-painting, balloon sculpting, carnival rides and the Great Leone Magic Show held the attention of kids and adults alike

Southington’s Kelly Nowik captured the audience with her pop show tunes and opera arias. Fourteen year-old Charlie Tiernan, an exciting young talent who took second place in the 2010 Apple Harvest Festival, tugged heart strings with her energetic performance of great show tunes and classic pops, including a powerful rendition of New York, New York.

From South Windsor we heard a half dozen show tunes and operatic selections superbly performed by 17 year-old Gabriel Mellizo. Joining him in a marvelous duet was Megan Eberly,18, also of South Windsor. The stellar young talent delighted audience. The evening’s program closed impressively with New York-based classic baritone, Ross Benoliel, who recently appeared with the Metropolitan Opera, at  Carnegie Hall and the New York Philharmonic.  Connecticut-based tenor, Marcello Sparagna, a winner of the Festival of Songs in Brooklyn, and tenor Teo Ricciardelli, performer in Italian festivals up and down the East Coast and Anna Rita Tornella closed the evening. Entertainment continued on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday morning, Rev. Frederick M. Aniello, celebrated a Mass in Italian in memory of Patrick A. Baker who died on July 4, 2015.  A beautiful altar and furnishings were installed by the Baker family. Michael Baker stated that the statue of the Blessed Mother has been donated to the Italian Ladies Rosary Society so that it may remain the focal point of the Mass and procession which is escorted by the color guard of the Southington Knights of Columbus Assembly 122 and the Sam Vinci Middletown Italian Marching Band.

Driving by the site the next morning, it seemed almost incredible that the street was restored to normal, as though nothing had happened, a credit to hundreds of volunteer man-hours who organized and hosted this major community event.