Starting this weekend the streets of Clarksburg will be filled with tasty Italian food,good music and people dancing in the street. This is always the beginning of the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival.  This event was held for the first time in 1979 and has continued every year since and has continued to supply many fine entertainers for the people attending.  The best thing about this is that all the entertainment is free.  The festivities will start with the Pasta Cook Off which will be held this Saturday at Jackson's Square in Clarksburg.  On Sunday the Progressive Women's Association will present an exhibit of the Late James D. Larosa's cookbooks.  The exhibit which will showcase approximately 350 cookbooks is free and open to the public. There is a large variety of cookbooks and they are not all Italian.  Attendees will have the opportunity to browse through the cookbooks.  Also on display will be a statue of St. John the Baptist which is being loaned to the PWA from the Frank and Jane Gabor Folklife Center of FSU.  The statue was blessed by Pope Francis and presented to Dr. Judy Byer by the priest presiding at the mass at the Abby in San Giovanii in Fiore on the feast day of St. John. St John is considered to be the patron saint of the many immigrants who came to North Central West Virginia to settle from San Giovanni.  The local Italian Roman Catholic Church located here in Clarksburg was named St. John's. The exhibit will be held at the Uptown Event Center located at 305 Washington Avenue in Clarksburg.  Chefs from local eating establishments in the area will be preparing samples of Mr. Larosa's favorite foods.Some of those chefs are from Julio's, Muriale's, Wonder Bar, Bluebird and Torchia Italian Deserts. The event is being sponsored by Davis Funeral Home.  For more information call 304 624 6881.  This is an event of the cultural program of the PWA of Harrison County. Marsha Vigilianco is the PWA president and Elinda Carson is the PWA director.

 

Throughout the week there will be a golf tournament, an elimination dinner, the Honorees dinner and the weekend will kickoff with the coronation on Friday at noon on the Court House Plaza.  The festival will continue until Sunday at five when it will close for another year. For a schedule of events, to purchase tickets or for more information call 304 622 7314.

 

The Calabria West Virginia Italian Heritage Association held its meeting on August 7 at the Folklife Center at FSU.  Dr. Byer discussed the events being held at the Folklife Center and discussed the student exchange program that FSU has with the University of Calabria. The Association supports the exchange program with scholarships for the students going abroad.  Our friend in San Giovanni, Pietro Mazza was very helpful in planning the visit to San Giovanni, of the 33 who made the trip in June.  He will be in Clarksburg for the festival and will be most happy to assist anyone who is searching for their roots in San Giovanni. Lou Spatafore is the president of the Calabria Association. Attending the meeting were Judge Michael Aloi, Dave Bonasso, Victor Gabriel, Mike Belmear, Pierre Bonasso, Judy Byer and Rosalyn and Dave Alonso.

 

School is now in session and I urge all of you to look out for the children as they travel to and from school.  When looking for something to do, why not attend some of the sporting events or school functions presented by the students.  You will be surprised at the quality of these events.

 

Keep in touch with me at 304 842 2662 and I hope to see you at the festival, until next week "Now You Have Heard It through the Grapevine."