Mangia bene, essere felici. Eat well, be happy was the theme throughout the Italian Festival held at the Seattle Center last weekend.
Italian's believe that food, wine, family and friends are an integral part of everyday life. Nowhere was that sentiment more celebrated than at the "Festa Italiana."
People from all over came together for the two-day event to sample authentic Italian food and wine provided by local restaurants and organizations from the Seattle area.
And there was a wide array of musicians who filled the air with Italian folk, opera and symphony.
Booths presented an abundance of pasta, pizza, breads, various meats and cheeses, all of which were skillfully paired with Italian soda and wine.
"The pasta is really good, but not as good as my mom's," said 9-year-old Sadie Botuchis, who sat with a bowl of penne with marinara sauce. Next to her was her 5-year-old brother, Brody Botuchis and friends Sophie, Kaylee and Grace Schiel.
Entertainment abounded with puppet shows for the kids performed by "Love for Three Oranges", the Piecora's Pizza Toss, the Carter Family Marionettes, balloon-tying and face painting.
Fortissimo, also known as Seattle's three tenors, displayed their operatic talents to a captivated audience.
The famous "Ruffino Grape Stomp" took place each day with teams of three competing to see who could crush the most juice from 20 pounds of grapes in four minutes.
The challenges did not end there as men and women also competed in the annual Bocce tournament for a trophy or medallion and bragging rights.
Food Network's celebrity chef Anne Burrell, who first gained notoriety as Mario Batali's sous chef on the television show "The Iron Chef," exhibited her culinary skills through cooking demonstrations each day.
The 11th annual Foto Italiana Gallery Show brought together a one-of-a-kind collection of images from several accomplished photographers and artists.
Festa Italiana also provided something for the car buff with the Classic Italian Vehicle Show, featuring Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, FIAT, Lancia and Alfa-Romeo, just to name a few.
"Awesome food, good wine and a lot of fun," said John Sutherland of Ballard. "I brought my whole family and there has been something for everyone."
Italians have long been known for their love of good wine and spirits. Ruffino Wines provided the vino with choices of Chianti and Lumina Pinot Grigio.
In the past 22 years, Festa Italiana has brought Seattle's diverse cultures together to celebrate the cultural roots of Italians through wine, food and entertainment.
"We want people to experience a little bit of Italy," said Anna Popovich, president of the Italian Club of Seattle. "We hope when people come they will sample some of the great food and wonderful music that is representative of Italy."[[In-content Ad]]
