BLOOMFIELD. Pa. — The 22nd annual Little Italy Days came to a close in Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood Sunday evening. The free, four-day festival was filled with food, games and live music, aided by nice weather. Additionally, an attendance record might have been broken.
Whether you were trying your hand at bocce ball, or testing your skills at axe throwing, there was something fun for everyone.
“I’m having a great time,” said Paul Termini of Ingram. “The food’s great. The music’s great. There are a lot of different vendors and stands. There’s everything you could ever want.”
Little Italy Days festival in the heart of Bloomfield was filled with lots of tasty, authentic Italian food.
“Funnel cake, pizza, gyro. I told you, I’m greedy,” said Sheena Carter of Oakland.
Chuck Biancucci and his daughter Pia were sampling a little bit of all their favorites.
“Cannoli’s, having sausage sandwiches, gnocchi, all the good stuff,” Chuck Biancucci of Moon Township said.
About 200 local vendors spanned nearly the entire length of Liberty Avenue - about 10 football fields long.
“This is our Christmas,” said Nick Bogacz, who owns Caliente Pizza & Draft House. “These four days are the best days of the whole entire season or whole entire year just for everybody in Bloomfield. It’s fantastic.”
On its fourth and final day of the festival’s 22-year history, there likely was a record turnout. Event producer Sal Richetti estimates about 120,000 people have stopped by the free festival over the four days - about 20,000 more than the typical crowds they’ve seen in years past.
“How we measure it is by the garbage, if you could believe that,” Richetti said.
Little Italy Days celebrate the rich Italian heritage and the historic neighborhood.
“We’re celebrating our roots from being Italian,” Richetti said. “It’s basically the legacy, keeping the tradition of this neighborhood, of Bloomfield, known as Pittsburgh’s ‘Little Italy.’”
The festival also brings in newcomers like Juanita Lynn Slade of Homewood.
“I love it,” Slade said. “I like that the people can come together and have fun because right now with all this violence going on, it’s nice to be able to get together and everybody have a nice time together.”
It also keeps others, including Oakland resident Sheena Carter, coming back year after year.
“First of all, we all get along. Like she said, we all get along,” Carter said pointing to her friend, Slade. “The vibe is good and I’m greedy; I love food, so anywhere there’s food, I’m coming.”
Little Italy Days kicked off on Thursday.
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