Festa Italia will be returning to Lancaster this week
The festival celebrates all things Italian, from authentic cuisine to Ducati bikes
Have you spotted some new green, white and red bunting above Lancaster’s streets this week? ‘Lancaster Festa Italia’ returns to the city centre this weekend for the fifth time.
From Saturday (May 20th) until Sunday (May 28th), Lancaster’s streets will be engulfed by the nine-day-long Festa Italia, a celebration and live showcasing of Italian food, drink, and live music.
Festa Italia is an opportunity to celebrate Italian culture in the middle of Lancaster, with “food stalls, supercars, Ducati bikes, live music,” and street entertainment, with many hospitality venues offering Italian-themed food and drink deals and specials.
Lancaster “makes the perfect backdrop for an Italian event” as a result of the city’s “long and rich history,” having been ruled by the Romans “for over four hundred years.”
The festival begins with “An Evening of Opera Classics with Outreach Opera” at Lancaster Priory on the 20th. The concert begins at 7:30pm, featuring a variety of popular Italian operatic duets, arias and ensembles, with tickets costing between £4 and £12. More information, and tickets for the event can be accessed here.
On Saturday, May 27th, there is also a “Pizza In The Park” event, with pizza, drinks & music available to help fundraise money to save our playground. The event will last from 12pm to 8pm at Fairfield Playground in collaboration with several small businesses, including Bowland Brewery, Shipton Mill, The Original LogsDirect, and HotFoot, alongside Lancaster City Council.
At the grand finale of the festival on Sunday, May 28th, numerous activities will be taking place across Lancaster, including cooking demonstrations, opera, music & dancers, supercar displays, motorbikes & scooters, street artists, authentic Italian street food, along with a variety of market stalls showcasing Italian brands and artisan produce.
Music, dance, and other attractions will be available to visit at the Main Stage on Market Square and the Bambino Stage on Dalton Square from 11am onwards.
The inaugural “Lancaster International Film Festival” will also take place during the festival on Friday, May 26th, in collaboration with CinemaItaliano.info and will showcase various films alongside a Q&A session with Katia Greco, an Italian TV, and Cinema star, and an awards ceremony to determine the winners of the trip to the 2023 Venice International Film Festival.
More information about Festa Italia is available at What’s On In Lancaster and on Festa Italia’s Facebook Page.
Featured image via Facebook.