By Carolyn Webb
There’s an Italian superstition that says rain is good luck for a bride on a wedding day.
And Melburnians, who are rather fond of Italian culture, certainly didn’t object to the city’s popular Italian Festa going ahead on Sunday, despite occasional drizzle and cool breezes.
When with ancient Romans: Liana Sofra, 6, with roaming entertainers at Melbourne Italian Festa.Credit: Jacob Pattison
But who cares about the weather when you’re eating? There were queues at the festa, held for the second year at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton, for everything from pizza to gnocchi, cannoli and biscotti.
Michelle Di Pietro, chef at the Abruzzo Lab barbecue tent, sold 16,000 lamb skewers (arrosticini) compared with about 10,000 at last year’s festa.
Her father, Roberto Di Pietro, was helping his daughter, grilling meat.
“It’s the Italian way – your family will jump in to help you when you need them,” Michelle said.
Sizzling pace: Michelle Di Pietro and father Roberto cooking lamb skewers at their Abruzzo Lab stall.Credit: Jacob Pattison
At a nearby outdoor table, festival-goer Josie Tine, of Pascoe Vale, who migrated from Sicily aged eight, was enjoying eating pizza, listening to music and being nonna to three-year-old grandson Isaac Iaria.
Tine was happy Isaac was learning some of his culture. “I think it’s something to be proud of,” Tine said. “If he’s exposed to it, he’ll feel a sense of ‘that’s where I come from’, where some of his family come from.”
Tine went to the festa when it was held on Lygon Street, “but I think this is nicer, because of the green space, the fact you could go inside when it’s raining. I think this is a better venue as well, for parking”.
Liana Sofra, 6, of Clayton, loved watching the models dressed as ancient Romans roaming benignly through the crowd.
Family day out: Josie Tine with her grandson, Isaac Iaria, 3, son Mark Iaria and his partner, Danielle Ritchie.Credit: Jacob Pattison
Her father, Joe Sofra, 38, said: “She saw them from a distance and wanted to get a photo with them.”
The son of Calabrian immigrants, Joe said it was their first time at the festa and they were having a lovely time.
Lily Burrows, of Ormond, who danced a Zumba routine, migrated to Australia in 1959 as the daughter of Jewish Holocaust survivors from Poland.
But she has Italian friends and loves their food and sense of community. “I think they’re very nice, warm people.”
Dancing queen: Lily Burrows takes part in a Zumba class in front of the outdoor stage.Credit: Jacob Pattison
Festival organiser Elaine Bocchini, from Italian community assistance organisation Co. As. It., said the 2024 festa went “incredibly well” despite the weather, with almost 100,000 visitors over two days, up from about 35,000 last year.
It is the second Italian Festa held at the Royal Exhibition Building, having run on Carlton’s Lygon Street for decades, expanded from one day last year to two days this year. Organisers are considering expanding it to three days.
Asked about the festa’s aims, Bocchini said it was important to have a place for the Italian community, of all ages, and for migrants and their descendants, to gather, given they were now more spread out geographically.
“And for everybody else, it gives them the chance to experience Italy without travelling so far away,” Bocchini said.
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