17th Annual Feast of Little Italy Converges in the Heart of Jupiter Nov. 1 -3 for a Celebration of Italian Food, Music, Art and Tradition to Abacoa

It’s ‘Feast-time’ and time for the anticipated, annual celebration of Italian food, entertainment and all-out family tradition, when the ‘Feast of Little Italy’ turns Jupiter’s Downtown Abacoa - once again - into an all-out Italian street festival November 1 – 3.

Festival hours throughout the weekend, are: 4 p.m. – 10 p.m. Friday – Opening Night; 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Saturday; and 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Sunday. Parking is Free.

Now in its 17th year, the cheered ‘Feast of Little Italy’ presented by Arrigo West Palm, promises a weekend filled with entertainment, food and fun, whipped up Italian- and family-style! The three-day festival features an exciting line-up of famed Italian-American performers and celebrities, revered chefs and a wide array of events and activities planned for all ages. Each year, the ‘Feast of Little Italy’ draws thousands of people with a promise to offer something special for everyone to enjoy and remember.

“I am so honored to bring the traditions of my Italian family heritage to the community and celebrate with new and old friends year after year,” said Jerry Somma, who founded the Feast of Little Italy in 2002. “The true heart of the ‘Feast’ is the countless memories and valued time spent, sharing and enjoying the passion of the Italian-American culture together.”

Entertainment:

This year’s entertainment lineup promises a showcase of Italian and Italian-American artists set to appear throughout the weekend on the Main Stage. Headlining the excitement are: The Atlantic City Boys, kicking off the Feast celebration 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1st with a Tribute to Frankie Valli. Sing along with favorites like “Who Loves You,” “Save the Last Dance For Me,” and “Sweet Caroline”; Austin Giorgio, finalist from NBC’s The Voice sings show-stoppers like, “How Sweet it is,” and “Free Fallin’ and teams up with the hilarious Comedian Mike Marino with his show “Make America Italian Again” for a night of music and comedy 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2nd; and, it’s the king of doo-wop, pulling out all the stops when Tommy Mara and The Crests round out the festivities with a smash combo of hits, including: “In the Still of the Night,” “Sixteen Candles,” and “Earth Angel” 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 3rd. The Feast is pleased to also announce the return of its fabulous Master of Ceremonies - Virginia Sinicki, on-air personality from the KVJ show.

The Food – Now that’s Italian! 
With every step you take in Abacoa, visitors will find food vendors serving up authentic Italian dishes – from pasta, pizza, sausage and peppers, to risotto and pinwheels, and more! The aroma of Italy will surround you and each scrumptious bite is certain to keep you hungry and coming back for more! Come and get a taste from dishes that hail from both south and northern Italy ranging from seafood pescatore, calamari, antipasto platters, fried raviolis and Italian Chicago beef fried calzones. Then, enjoy not-to-be-missed Italian dessert with homemade zeppoles, sfogliatella, and cannolis. Josephs Classic Market will be on site selling their homemade products and cooking up some of the favorites that locals have come to know and love. If Italian food is what you crave, then the Feast is the place to be.



On the streets:
While strolling the winding paths of the Feast’s ‘old-world’ Italian-street festival, shop arts, specialty and food vendors eager to meet and share conversation. Enjoy perusing goods amid the aromas, sights and sounds of Italy. Find ‘finds’ of jewelry, home goods, T-shirts, collector’s keepsakes and a host (too many to count) of specialty items and treasures to take home.

Along the way, expect to run into everybody’s favorite street-music personality Peppino who returns to meander, mingle and serenade accompanied by his lively, melodic accordion. Be sure to look up and give a wave to the tall, happy stilt walker as he slowly parades by, greets you, and poses for a photo as you enter the festival.



The Good Greek Moving and Storage Family Picnic Area is the place to eat and relax with family and friends, take in the concerts, and enjoy the festival on picnic tables located throughout the festival. The Aperol Spritz Piazza is in the heart of the festival with great views of the stage, a full liquor bar, play bocce, and TVs for showing football. Come root on your favorite team while you mangia and delight in your favorite Italian food with friends and family.


Little Smiles Village:
 Don’t miss taking the kids over to explore the Little Smiles (Children’s) Village, presented by Kasper Electric, for a chance to support the Feast’s official charity and get the younger generation into the swing of the Feast. Kids of all ages will enjoy rides, games, face-painting, prizes, activities and treats, while parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents play-along and share laughter and lots of ‘little smiles.’ While in the ‘village,’ meet and take photos with Stringster, the Feast’s official mascot. On Sunday, enjoy story time with Virginia from the KVJ Show and have a picture snapped with Pinocchio.



New this year:
 Get engines revving and conversation going while taking in a stunning display of 100 antique cars in a vintage, classic show.

To keep the music and street-dancing going all weekend-long, we’ve added another entertainment stage. Guests will find the stage with a variety of arts & cultural performances to enjoy – next to the classic cars display.

Food and Wine Seminars:

Year after year, national and local chefs come out to the Feast of Little Italy and demonstrate how to cook specialty, Italian dishes. The La Cucina Galbani® Cooking Pavilion is the place to learn how to prepare delicious cuisine, with up-close demonstrations.

Daily, Galbani’s intimate La Cucina Galbani Cooking Stage “kitchen” with will be filled with nationally-known chefs like most notable, Galbani Celebrity Chef Marco Sciortino from the hit TV show “Come Dine With Me,” and local favorites Joseph Acierno, of Joseph’s Classic Markets, Nina Tomasik, of Nina’s Bakery, and Mario Mette, of Lynora’s, as they create special Italian dishes and desserts from scratch, right before your eyes! Come get a taste of Italy throughout the weekend. Seminars will be held Friday 7 pm, Saturday at noon, 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm, and Sunday, noon, 2 pm and 4 pm.

To complement the palate, Voga Italia is the proud wine sponsor bringing taste and style. Their collection ranges from white to red and sparkling to sweet. Join us as world-renowned wine connoisseur Anthony Acampa takes you on a journey with your palate. Free wine demonstrations will be held Friday at 6 pm, Saturday at 3 pm, 5 pm and 7 pm, and Sunday at 1 pm and 3 pm.


A return crowd- favorite is the annual Golden Wooden Spoon Cookoff! Tune-in, in person, to witness the Galbani ‘Cookoff’ when WPBF-Channel 25 Anchor Felicia Rodriguez takes on 2018 winner WPBF-Channel 25 Anchor Tiffany Kenney for the win and prize – a golden wooden spoon, of course!

About Little Smiles – The Feast of Little Italy’s official Charity:
The Feast is committed each year to support Little Smiles, an organization that works tirelessly to bring smiles to the faces of children by giving kids the chance to be kids during difficult times. The nonprofit provides gifts and fun activities to children impacted by serious illness, homelessness or tragedy.


About Galbani®  

First crafted in Italy by Egidio Galbani in 1882—Galbani® cheeses have long been the #1 cheese brand in Italy. For over 130 years, Galbani cheese has been delighting families all over Italy. Today the Galbani brand brings its timeless tradition from Italy to the American table with the delicious taste of mozzarella, ricotta, fresh mozzarella, and snack cheese made and sold in the United States. Galbani® cheese is a leading brand of the Lactalis American Group, Inc. (“LAG”). Headquartered in Buffalo, NY, LAG is a subsidiary of Parmalat S.p.A., an Italian public entity majority-owned by France-based Groupe Lactalis - the world's largest producer of premium cheese. LAG produces a wide array of cheese products, including a variety of specialty cheese available to retail, foodservice and industrial customers. For more info on Galbani, please visit www.galbanicheese.com. ©2018 Lactalis American Group, Inc., Buffalo, NY 14220. Galbani is a ® of Egidio Galbani S.r.l.



About the Feast of Little Italy:                                                                                                   


It began 17 years ago with a dream and a vision to create an experience rich in Italian culture to share. With family tradition and values at the core of its mission, the Feast continues to serve as the signature event that brings together generations in a celebration of marked contributions by great Italians. Through food, music, art and history, over the three-day-festival, we remain steadfast to encouraging the importance of bringing together the community, rooted in the importance of family. We remain dedicated to staying mindful about the hardships that our ancestors endured in migration to this great country and proud of our Italian American heritage.