The 4th Annual Italian Day returns to Commercial Drive, Sunday June 9th, celebrating Italian culture, traditions and heritage. Some 100,000 participants are expected to take over The Drive as it transforms into the world- renowned spectacle that is the Venice Carnival. Expect to see traditional Venetian carnival masks, decorations and costumed street entertainers!
Recognized as Vancouver’s ‘Little Italy’, Commercial Drive will embrace all that is Italian: food, music, fashion, folkloric dance, classic cars, vespas and more. Restaurants will be extending their businesses with outdoor patios, while a wide variety of Italian associations and guest vendors, including food trucks, will line the street with authentic style food and merchandise.
Commercial Drive (which will be closed to motorized traffic with all festivities and stands positioned along The Drive from 4th Avenue to Parker Street)
DATE: Sunday, June 9, 2013
TIME: 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Food Contests- they are happening at stage 2 (grant street) at the following times:
Pasta eating contest: 2:55 – 3:35pm
Pizza tossing – 3:50 – 4:20pm
Watermelon Eating – 5:50 – 6:15pm
Grape Stomping Contest – 6:30 – 7:15pm
STREET VENDORS (even more this year)
Italia Bakery – Cannoli
There will be some favourite italian products – gelato, cannoli, arancini, pizza, pasta- coming from:
Bella Gelateria
Italia Bakery – Cannoli (on Kitchener Street & Commercial Drive)
Suburban spoon – pasta & arancini
Via Tevere – pizza
Dolce Amore (mobile cart)
There will also be the following food trucks:
Gio2Go
Hotties Foods – Mobile Italian Pasta Bar (‘Trattoria on Wheels’)
Pazzarella – Pizza
Street Meet Truck – Mediterranean – arancini
Wilkyz Grill – Sicilian hamburgers
Daily Catch – fish
For the first time ever, Italian day will be presenting four well known Vancouver chefs in outdoor cooking demonstrations throughout the day. Chef Romy Prasad will be hosting this delicious event as well as cooking along side Nevada Cope from the Italian Cultural Centre, Nick Grant from Federico’s Supper Club, and the Italian singing chef Pepe Gioe. The chefs will be cooking authentic Italian sweet and savoury recipes including traditional Carnevale treats. Get ready to immerse yourself in the Italian flavours as there will be sampling of these tasty dishes.
The celebration will also feature two main stages with live music, folkloric dance, and fashion.
Music will be a highlight of the event with a mixed genre lineup that includes showman Federico Fuoco, international singer/songwriter Carmelina Cupo and Langley’s youth Ukulele Ensemble.
Follow on Twitter: @ItalianDay #italianday
For more information visit italianday.ca