The annual Newport Festa Italiana will return Sept. 26-Oct. 13, offering nearly three weeks of events celebrating Italian culture, cuisine and community traditions in the City by the Sea.
The festival kicks off Friday, Sept. 26, with the John Panaggio Original Ziti Night at Vasco da Gama Hall, 15 Fenner Ave. The dinner runs 5-7 p.m. with tickets at $30 for adults and $5 for children. Takeout is available, and proceeds benefit the Anna M. Ripa Memorial Scholarship Fund. Reservations can be made by calling 849-7087.
A cheese-making workshop is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 2, from 10-11 a.m. at MOZZ Newport in Bellevue Gardens Shopping Center. Luca Mignogna, a master cheese maker from the Molise region of Italy, will demonstrate hand-stretching mozzarella and share samples with participants. Tickets are $30 per person and available at www.mozznewport.com/festaitaliana2025 using the password “MozzItaliana.”
The Italian Festival on the Lawn takes place Saturday, Oct. 4, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Vasco da Gama grounds. The free event features Italian food, vendors, live music by Calabria Bella, dancing, raffles and children’s activities. The festival will move indoors if weather is poor.
Singer Nicolas King will perform Friday, Oct. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 7 Valley Road, Middletown. Complimentary Italian appetizers begin at 7 p.m., followed by a cash bar. Tickets are $20 and available through Sardella’s and Newport Festa Italiana websites or by calling 683-4378. Proceeds support the Sen. John O. Pastore Cultural Scholarship Fund, which sends two area high school students to Newport’s sister city of Imperia, Italy.
The festival concludes Monday, Oct. 13, with a Roman Catholic Mass at 10 a.m. at St. Joseph’s Church on Broadway and Mann Avenue, honoring deceased members of the Italian-American community. The Italian Heritage Parade steps off at 11:30 a.m. from the church to the Columbus Monument on Memorial Boulevard at Bellevue Avenue, with a brief ceremony at 12:15 p.m.
An after-parade luncheon will be held at 12:30 p.m. at Sardella’s Italian Restaurant, 30 Memorial Blvd. West. Tickets are $25 per person and available at www.sardellas.com.
“Festa Italiana is more than just a festival — it’s a homecoming,” said Diane McCaffrey, chair of the Newport Festa Italiana Committee. “It’s a time for families, neighbors, and visitors to come together to celebrate the values of heritage, hospitality, and togetherness that have shaped Newport for generations.”
Newport Festa Italiana is a nonprofit celebration dedicated to preserving Italian culture and traditions. A full schedule and ticket information is available at www.newportfesta.org.