Italian Festival

Join us at the Beachstreet Starfish Pavilion at the Virginia Beach oceanfront (17th Street Park) September 19-20, 2008, for a fun-filled weekend saluting all things Italian! This event will feature Italian cuisine, entertainment, and merchandise. Admission will be free.

Food will be the heart and soul of Festa Italiana in Virginia Beach, with pizza by the slice, chicken parmesan, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, Italian sausages, espresso, cappuccino, gelato (several flavors), wine, and beer. Food dishes will be under $10. Aside from the serving lines and seating available under the big tent, vendors will also be serving food in our boardwalk village. Merchandise vendors will also be part of Festa Italiana and will be located in the boardwalk village set up at the 17th Street Park.

Entertainment already booked for 2008’s Festa Italiana in Virginia Beach Aaron Caruso and the World Pizza Champions!

Aaron Caruso has been performing on stage since the age of 6. He has performed at Caesar's Palace for their "Italian Night" and at the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City. He has opened for The Smothers Brothers, Gary Puckett, The Gaylords, and Don Rickles. Aaron also performed for Tony Bennett, who exclaimed: "You sing like Mario Lanza. I want to see you in the movies." He recently sang for Jerry Vale's private birthday party, where Jerry said "This kid's amazing!" Aaron has lectured and performed at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.

Virginia Beach Festa Italiana is proud to present the returning World Pizza Champions. This group of pizza industry professionals amazes audiences with a pizza-tossing “acrobatic show!” Their show consists of an acrobatic pizza tossing routine set to music and incorporating tricks like across the shoulders, through the legs, two at a time, and floor movements. Audience members are even brought into the act when they find themselves on stage getting pizza-tossing lessons from the pros! The World Pizza Champions have appeared on The Today Show, Tony Danza Show, The Tonight Show, The Ellen Show, ESPN, Good Morning America, and have been featured numerous times on the Food Network.

Festa Italiana is proudly presented by our radio partners 93.7 BOB FM, Energy 106.1, and WNIS, and the City of Virginia Beach, Live Nation, and Beachevents.