ISHPEMING, MI— The St. Rocco - St. Anthony Society of Ishpeming invites the community to the Ishpeming Italian Fest, featuring a special firework display, to celebrate their milestone.
The 125th Italian Fest will take place on Saturday, July 27, 2024, starting at noon at the Al Quaal Recreation Area in Ishpeming.
The Ishpeming Italian Fest is a special occasion for Italian Americans to celebrate St. Rocco and St. Anthony and a time for the entire community to gather for delicious food, local music, and family fun. The festivities include a day-long picnic, multiple vendors, food tents featuring recipes from local Italian families, bingo, bounce houses, traditional Italian games, and a greased pole climbing competition. The celebration will conclude with a spectacular firework display at dusk, a special addition to this milestone event.
Event cook Ann Christensen shared, "It is about family; we sing and dance and enjoy ourselves, even after the event is over. My grandpa was one of the members who started this. Back then, there was no safety net if you got hurt or couldn't work to make ends meet. They had groups that would help you get on your feet, and it eventually turned into this."
The Ishpeming Italian Fest planning committee, assisted by the Lake Superior Community Partnership, marked the milestone with an anniversary celebration on Wednesday, July 24, 2024.
Festival highlights include:
Bingo
A greased pole competition with a $100 prize
A large glide slide
A kids' inflatable bounce castle
Children's games
Games of chance
Arts & crafts vendors
The musical entertainment lineup is as follows:
2:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.: Soundz of Time with Jan and Gino
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.: Diamanti band from Chicago, Illinois, performing classic contemporary Italian and American music
7:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.: Local band DayDreamers
Christensen noted, “We try to sell out around 3 to 4. If you want dinner, you’ll have to come earlier, so we can enjoy the festival.”
The event honors the Italian tradition of celebrating St. Rocco and St. Anthony and fosters a sense of community and enjoyment for all.
For more information, contact St. Rocco - St. Anthony Society of Ishpeming President Jim Bertucci at info@ishpemingitalianfest.com.
