Festa Italiana to be held October 19 in Donaldsonville

Ciao Amici! The Donaldsonville Downtown Development District has announced its first Festa Italiana to be held on October 19, 2019 in Crescent Park from 12 noon - 10:00 p.m.

The festival is a celebration of the history, culture, and heritage of the Italians in the Donaldsonville area and will feature live entertainment by King Pa Ka Yea' Band, delicious Italian food, history, and its Spaghetti Sauce Cook-off.

Chef Giacomo Russo claims to have the BEST Italian cooking in all of Louisiana, and he challenges you to prove him wrong by brining "Your Best Second Place Italian!" The spaghetti sauce cook-off will feature three divisions: meatballs, sausage, or open class – put it all in.

The competition has a $50 entry fee, but the winner takes all in each division. Two other awards: the Chef Giacomo Italiana Medal for the best of the best Spaghetti Sauce and the People's Choice winner will also be awarded.

The public may participate in the "People's Choice Award" by purchasing a $5.00 armband to sample all the competitors. Cook-off setup begins at 10:00 a.m. and continues until judging at 2:00 p.m. with the awards being given at 5:00 p.m. just prior to the King Pa Ka Yea' Band's performance at 6:00 p.m.

And if you're an LSU fan, the game will be available inside for those who want to watch the LSU Tigers beat the MSU Bulldogs.

Italian food vendors and special crafters are also currently being accepted and it's exclusive, so interested vendors need to sign up now! To register for the cook off or become a vendor, visit the facebook page @visitdonaldsonville or email lee@visitdonaldsonville.org.

You may also call 225-445-1383 or stop by City Hall at 609 Railroad Avenue, Donaldsonville to pick up an application.

Contributed by the DDDD