Festa Italiana returns to Sterling Heights this weekend
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Festa Italiana returns to Freedom Hill Country Park in Sterling Heights this weekend!
The free event welcomes all ages to celebrate the Italian heritage with live music, food, fireworks and more. People will even have the chance to compete in cannoli-eating and meatball-eating contests!
There will be national and local entertainment for the 2023 Festa Italiana, along with a Family Fun Zone, which will include bounce houses, a zip line, bocce courts and a rock-climbing wall.
"The festival, presented by the Italian American Chamber of Commerce, will have your mouth watering from the best Italian cuisine and Italian wines and beers found in Metro Detroit!" festival organizers said in a release.
The event will happen from Friday, July 14, through Sunday, July 16th. Here is the lineup for each day:
Friday: July 14, 2023
- Opening Ceremonies/National Anthems: 6 p.m.
- Ray Massa's EuroRhythms: 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
- The Bronx Wanderers: 8:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
- Fireworks Spectacular: 10:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
- The Bronx Wanderers: 10:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Saturday: July 15, 2023
- National Anthems: 12 p.m.
- Italian American Idol Contest: 12:15 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Meatball Contest: 2:15 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
- Aaron Caruso: 3:30 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
- Mark Randisi & The Sounds of Sinatra: 5:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
- The Bronx Wanderers: 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
- Louis Prima Jr.: 8:15 p.m. – 9:15 p.m.
- Ray Massa's EuroRhythms: 9:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Sunday July 16, 2023
- Holy Sacrament of Mass – Celebrated by Fr. Enzo Addari: 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
- Columbus Day Queen Contest: 12:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
- Cannoli Eating Contest: 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
- Cutest Baby Contest: 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
- The Simone Vitale Band: 3:15 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
- Mark Randisi & The Sounds of Sinatra: 4:45 p.m. – 5:45 p.m.
- Aaron Caruso: 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
- The Bronx Wanderers: 7:15 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.
- Ray Massa's EuroRhythms: 8:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
The Italian American Chamber of Commerce, Tito's Handmade Vodka, Andiamo Restaurant Group, Don Christo's Cigar Room, Make Macomb Your Home, Carmela Specialty Foods, Shelving.com, Maserati of Troy, Fifth Third Bank, The Tamer Foundation, and Lipari Foods are the 2023 sponsors for Festa Italiana.