The Italian Festival is a Celebration of Culture and Food

One of Columbus’ crowd favorite events year in and year out is the Italian Festival that appropriately takes place in Italian Village and draws in thousands of people over the course of the weekend that it runs for. As summer comes to an end, festivals slowly start to dwindle across the city, but the Italian Festival is consistently one of the year-end highlights. Here’s what you need to know before attending this October.

The Best Italian Food in the City All in One Place

Of course, when talking about and celebrating Italian culture, there’s going to be an emphasis on the food. Perfectly-cooked pasta, savory pizza, decadent cannoli—you name it. If it’s Italian, it’s going to be at the Italian Festival. And this isn’t any kind of Olive Garden food either; you’re getting some of the best Italian spots in the city in one place. The Berwick, Carfagna’s, Cardone’s, and even the Spaghetti Warehouse have provided food for the festival in the past, along with plenty of other Columbus powerhouse names in the Italian restaurant business. 

Great Live Entertainment Throughout the Day

A festival wouldn’t be a festival without some kind of live music. The Italian Festival provides plenty of live entertainment during the whole weekend it takes place. Italian singers, traditional Italian dance performers, and even a concert and marching band have taken the stage at past festivals to deliver some authenticity and culture and provide the perfect accompanying soundtrack to the day. 

If you make your way to the Italian Festival for the culture aspect, you’ll definitely want to make a point to check out the singing and dancing performances. Dancers are decked out head to toe in traditional Italian garb and are ready to put on a show. 

Italian-Inspired Activities

You’ll also find plenty of charming activities to keep you busy throughout your time at the Italian Festival. For those up for a classic game of the Italian sport of bocce ball, the festival puts on a small tournament every year. If you’re not big on sports, you’ve got plenty of other delightful options like cooking classes, where you’re able to watch Italian chefs assemble their beloved dishes from scratch. There are plenty of other cultural activities that take place over the course of the weekend, so be sure to check out their website for a full list of this year’s itineraries.For those seeking a fun time filled with celebrations of Italy’s culture and cuisine, the Italian Festival is it. It takes place this year from October 11th-13th at St. John the Baptist Italian Catholic Church in Italian Village right up the street from the Short North.