September 4-7, 2026: Our 50th Year!

As the nation celebrates its 250th birthday, one of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s most cherished traditions will also mark a major milestone. La Festa Italiana is observing the 50th anniversary of its founding. The annual celebration of culture, cuisine and music will be held again over Labor Day weekend, Friday through Monday, September 4-7, 2026. The presenting sponsor is Lehigh Valley Hospital-Dickson City, part of Jefferson Health.The convergent national and local anniversaries are not just a coincidence. La Festa Italiana was initiated in 1976 when the country was celebrating the Bicentennial. Individuals and groups were offering gifts of community service to commemorate this important milestone. In that spirit, La Festa Italiana was conceived by then-Lackawanna County Commissioner Robert W. Pettinato as a way for the local Italian-American community to offer a gift that would keep on giving – and that is exactly what happened, 50 years on and counting. Mr. Pettinato enlisted colleagues, friends and community leaders to help organize the event. Italian parishes, businesses and fraternal organizations were invited to participate.Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton was chosen as the site because it is the city’s equivalent of a “piazza,” the plaza of a typical town in Italy where people gather to socialize and enjoy all manner of events.The first festival was held on the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend with about 40 vendors set up along the North Washington Avenue side of the square, and an estimated crowd of 20,000 patronized the event. Eventually the fickle nature of October weather convinced the organizers that La Festa needed a change of season, so in 1981 the event was moved to the Labor Day weekend and has been held at that time ever since. It expanded to three days, and again to its current format of four days, Friday through Monday.La Festa has become a holiday tradition that satisfies everyone’s appetite for a good time with good friends. Vendors now occupy all four sides of Courthouse Square, offering a wide variety of Italian cuisine. Italian cooking is a vibrant expression of the good life. In fact, the cooking of the Italian peninsula was the first fully developed cuisine in Europe. As patrons circle the square, they are tempted by a multitude of options. In addition to typical “main” courses, many can be seen sipping a cup of cappuccino in tandem with a pastry, or sampling the famous porketta sandwich served by the Scranton Chapter of UNICO National.Another revered highlight of the festival is the annual Catholic Mass celebrated in Italian on Sunday in nearby St. Peter’s Cathedral.The festival also features a Heritage Display that highlights the many noteworthy Italians who have made contributions to all facets of society. Another popular spot is the La Festa Committee Tent, where patrons can obtain mementos of their visit such as custom-made T-shirts and a variety of novelty items. These sales help to defray festival expenses.And what would a party be without music? At La Festa there is plenty of it – four days and nights of free, continuous live entertainment with emphasis on Italian-style music along with enough acts to suit a wide variety of tastes. Among the featured performers are accomplished Italian vocalists. The tradition started at the first festival with Al Martino and has continued with well-known names like Bobby Arvon, Nelson Sardelli, June Valli, Moreno Fruzzetti and a host of others. Acts like The Poets, Ferdie Bistocchi Orchestra, Italian Sounds, Hi-Lites, Gene Dempsey Orchestra, The Eurorythms, King Henry and the Showmen, Los Vega, and Exact Change have taken the stage. More recently, featured vocalists including Metropolitan Opera’s T.J. Capobianco and Andrea Amoroso, and performers such as The Cameos, the Frank Sinatra-Dean Martin-Connie Francis-Frankie Valli-Billy Joel tributes, dance troupes, strolling serenaders, jugglers, magicians and local popular bands including Daddy-O and the Sax Maniacs, Picture Perfect and Popstar Drive have kept patrons entertained.For the past 13 years, La Festa has hit the ground running with the Captain James R. Minicozzi Memorial 5K Run and 1 Mile Fun Walk on Saturday morning. The race is sponsored by the Scranton Chapter of UNICO, and proceeds benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Northeastern Pennsylvania Christmas Party and college scholarships for students at Captain Minicozzi’s alma mater, West Scranton High School. The speed theme continues on Saturday with an Italian-branded car show, sponsored by Toyota of Scranton, just off the Square.It’s no wonder that people come from throughout Pennsylvania and neighboringstates to enjoy La Festa. Some estimate that 100,000 people will saunter around the Square over the four days. And there is no admission charge! Vendors pay a modest fee to secure their space and to partly cover the event’s operating expenses, with surplus funds going to various local charities.Staging a festival of this magnitude is no small task, and it’s accomplished by a relatively small group of dedicated board members and volunteers who work for months to plan the event. They are led by Chris DiMattio, who has been a committee member for 35 years and been serving as President and General Chairman for more than 30 years.Built upon the vision of its founders 50 years ago and the labors of so many people since, the 2026 La Festa Italiana promises to be another historic event!