Viva! Italian Festival - Jan 17, 2010, 4-7pm
Simkus Recreation Center
Free entry!
Enjoy a little bit of Italy with an evening of dance, music, contests, children's activities and, of course, great Italian food!
Live Italian music!
Live performances from Tony Spavone and Johnny Maggio.
Be the judge!
Sample-sized plates of pasta & sauce will be available for purchase. Test out sauces from the area's best Italian restaurants and vote for your favorites.
Show off your sauce skills!
Win a $100 gift card to Buca di Beppo restaurant in Lombard by taking part in Carol Stream’s first homemade sauce contest. Bring a sample of your homemade marinara sauce for our panel of judges to taste.
Download the entry form.
Learn Italian!
Language Stars will provide Italian lessons through 'funimmersion', designed to teach children through play.
See images of Italy
Come and see stunning pictorials of Italy through the camera lens of John Bucci, a world renown artist, sculptor and photographer. John, who has created two working replicas of La Fontana di Trevi, will offer his pictorials for sale at Viva at $18 per square foot. Learn more about Giovanni “John” Bucci at buccistudios.com
Learn Bocce
Try the Italian Sport of Bocce! Experts from Pinstripes will be on hand to teach you the sport on our indoor courts. Win prizes compliments of Pinstripes.
Try Tombola!
Bring the family to try Tombola - an Italian version of what we commonly know as BINGO!
Go to the movies!
Watch clips of “Italians in America – our contribution” on the movie screen, with free popcorn.
Preserve your Italian history!
Bring your Italian heritage photos for Casa Italia to scan and preserve and view museum pieces from the Casa Italia Sicilian exhibit.
Viva! Musical Entertainment
Johnny Maggio
Vocalist, trumpet player and DJ, Johnny Maggio, will be performing live.
Tony Spavone
Singer Tony Spavone will be entertaining the crowds with a live performance.
Viva! Italian Food
The best Italian sauces
Area restaurants will compete in Carol Stream’s sauce cook off. Restaurants will offer samples of their alfredo and marinara based sauces for a small charge. You will be asked to pick your favorite. Restaurants taking part include:
- RoccoVino’s
- Baja Italiana
- Salerno’s on the Fox
The great Italian sauce cookoff
Participate in Carol Stream’s first Homemade sauce contest. You are invited to bring a sample of your homemade marinara sauce for our panel of judges to taste. An award will be given to the Best Homemade Marinara Sauce! All entries must be homemade and authentic. Download the entry form.
Starbucks
Starbucks will host an espresso and coffee bar. Italian coffee and espresso will be available for purchase.
Italian pastries
Chicago Pastry will present their old world delicious and beautiful Italian sweets.
