Ciao! Come to an Italian-American Festival This Year

Italian-Americans pay tribute to their ethnic culture and their country in so many ways all year long. They have a good deal to be thankful for. And so does America.

More than 5.4 million emigrated to the United States from 1820 to 1992 in search of a better life. Today there are more than 26 million ethnic Italians living in the United States, making them the country's fifth-largest ethnic group. And they love to hold festivals nearly every month of the year, just as Italians do in Italy.

The Italian American Contribution

Many of these festivals focus on the cuisine that Italian-Americans have contributed to the American culinary patchwork; Italian-American heritage organizations often take the opportunity in October to introduce members and others to regional Italian cuisines, which go far beyond pasta.

Others celebrate the great art of Italy, from Michelangelo to Leonardo da Vinci. Or the great Italian innovators who have profoundly shaped American history, like explorer Christopher Columbus and geographer Amerigo Vespucci.

The Italian American Festivals

It's easy to find an Italian heritage festival. Many coincide with Columbus Day—also known as Indigenous People’s Day—and National Italian American Heritage month in October, but there are spring and summer Italian festivals as well. If you can't make it to a festival, you can still visit Little Italy in a city near you. 

Here are some great places to find Italy in the United States: the joyful, delicious Italian-American festivals held every year from March through October.