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The 36th annual Festa Italiana is coming to Seattle Center on September 23 and 24, 2023. This FREE festival celebrates the cultural roots of Italians and Italian-Americans in the Pacific Northwest by promoting the arts, food and culture that is uniquely Italian.
The headliner for the festival is a rockin’ 6 piece band from Salinas, California, called Anthony “Nino” Lane Band. They will be doing three shows over the weekend. The band will cover all your Italian favorites through the decades, emphasizing danceablility.
On September 23, at 2 pm, there will be a recital in the Fisher Pavilion featuring Seattle Opera Resident Artists, Camille Ortiz and Michael J. Hawk. It is free but seating may be limited. Afterwards, there will be free guided tours of McCaw Hall.
Hometown favorites, The Space Noodles, will be giving a concert at 4 pm on Saturday. They’ll be playing pop and rock hits from Italy in the 1990s to the present day.
Three time World Champion Accordionist, Cory Pesaturo, will be playing at the Beer & Wine Garden each day at 4 pm. Cory is the holder of the Guinness World Book of Records for the longest time performing on the accordion – 38 hours!
There will be the Festa ALL-Star Dance & Show on Saturday night at 7 pm. Cory Pesaturo and Anthony “Nino” Lane Band will be among the performers.
Live Cooking Demonstrations will take place on the rooftop terrace of Fisher Pavilion. Great local chefs will take the stage every hour throughout the weekend from 11 am to 5 pm.
Teams will compete for great prizes in the Festa Grape Stomp. Get together a three person group and jump in with both feet to stomp the grapes.
The Festa Bocce Tournament will be held in the Armory. Bocce is an Italian version of lawn bowling. The tournament will have a Master’s Division for professionals and a Recreational Division for the occasional player.
Festival Food & Activities
Authentic Italian food and wine will be featured at the Festa Italiana, including
- Pasta
- Pizza
- Italian Sausage
- Salami
- Meatballs
- Focaccia
- Gelato
- Birra
- Vino
- Prosecco
- Limoncello
- Cannoli
- Espresso
- Italian sodas
Other Festa Italiana activities will include
- All Breeds & Italian Dog Show (Sunday Only)
- Italian Car & Vehicle Show (Saturday Only)
- Historic Photo Exhibit
- Art Show
- 3 Stages with Free Music & Performing Arts
- 3 Wine & Beer Gardens
Italian Cuisine
If the Italian food and the cooking demonstrations make you want to learn more about Italian cooking, try these cookbooks. And you can use our links to see how you can save money on them.
- The Pasta Queen by Nadia Caterina Munno and Katie Parla
- Essential Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan and Karin Kretschmann
- Cucina de Amalfi by Ursula Ferigno
Or you can enjoy Italian cuisine at the 8 Best Italian Restaurants in Seattle as chosen by the users of TripAdvisor.
- Pizzeria Credo
- The Pink Door
- Salumi Deli
- Spinasse
- Rocco’s
- Assaggio Ristorante
- Cafe Juanita
- Serious Pie Downtown
If you love Italian food but can’t get to these restaurants one night, you can get food delivered from Rocco’s by DoorDash. Check out Rocco’s menu.
Seattle Lodging
If you’d like to visit Seattle for the Festa Italiana, you ought to consider the following hotels. They are all offering discounts on their rates which can save you money on your stay.
- The Belltown Inn – 20% Discount
- Mediterranean Inn – 20% Discount
- citizenM Seattle Pioneer Square – 15% Discount
- La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Seattle Downtown – 15% Discount
- Travelodge by Wyndham Seattle By The Space Needle – 15% Discount
- citizenM Seattle South Lake Union – 15% Discount
- Days Inn by Wyndham Seattle North – 15% Discount
- Travelodge by Wyndham Seattle North – 15% Discount
- Staypineapple, Hotel FIVE Downtown Seattle – 11% Discount
- Staypineapple, The Maxwell Hotel, Seattle Center Seattle – 11% Discount
- The Edgewater Hotel – 10% Discount
- The Slate Hotel – 10% Discount
- The Alexis Royal Sonesta Hotel Seattle – 10% Discount
- Hotel Theodore – 10% Discount
- Magnolia on the Hill – 10% Discount
- Staypineapple, Watertown, University District Seattle – 10% Discount
- Staypineapple, University Inn, University District Seattle – 10% Discount
- Hotel Max – 8% Discount
