SUBMITTED TO CONNECT-BRIDGEPORT

 

After a year of virtual celebrations, the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival returns to the heart of downtown Clarksburg, West Virginia, this Labor Day Weekend for its 43rd celebration! 

 

The event will be held on September 3, 4, & 5, 2021, at the Jackson Square Parking Facility. 

 

"We have been patiently waiting for the right time to announce this exciting news," says Tyler Terango, Chairman of the WVIHF Board of Directors, who met Wednesday evening and made the decision to move forward with an in-person celebration of the 2021 event.

 

"The core foundation of the Festival is to provide an opportunity to share in the sights, sounds, and smells of the Italian-American Culture while bringing people together as one big family to celebrate Labor Day Weekend in Clarksburg," said Terango. 

 

"Last year, we made the tough decision to cancel our event on the street. We moved forward with a virtual event packed full of interactive entertainment, archive video, and memories for the duration of our traditional 3-day event. The virtual event went beyond expectations. It brought back many memories from years past and allowed many people to stream the event live in their homes. But most of all, it proved that nothing measures up to being live on the streets to celebrate." said Terango. 

 

Although this year's festival will be moved from its usual location on Main Street to a temporary location at Jackson Square on Pike Street, the heartbeat of the festival will remain the same with many familiar events occurring over the three days, including: The Coronation of Regina Maria the 43rd on Friday, September 3, the Grand Feature Parade on Saturday, September 4, The Outdoor Mass on Sunday, September 5. 

 

The Board of Directors is thrilled in the progress being made in the current environment and is continuing to work with the production companies, agents, vendors, and other stakeholders to ensure three days of exciting festivities.

 

"We know what a difficult time this past year has been for everyone, and we could never do this festival without the financial support of our previous sponsors and donors. We hope that our sponsors and donors will continue to support the WVIHF for this year's festival and welcome any new sponsors or donors who would like to financially assist us with guaranteeing the success of a spectacular festival" said Terango.

 

With all the exciting news of the 43rd WVIHF coming back to Clarksburg this year, we are disappointed to announce that because of the requirements and restrictions, the Pasta Cook-Off cannot be held for 2021. However, the WVIHF Board of Directors is pleased to announce the return of other highly popular events leading up to festival weekend. Those events include: Bocce Tournament, Saturday, August 21, Golf Tournament and Elimination Drawing, Wednesday, September 1, and Honoree's Banquet Thursday, September 2.

  

Please stay tuned as more announcements will be made concerning entertainment and events in the coming weeks.   

"Although as Chairman I am thrilled we are making so much progress to bring the festival back to the streets of Clarksburg because of the recent restrictions, we are working in a condensed timeframe, and it goes without saying that volunteers are always needed. If you would like to volunteer and be a part of the festival family, please call 304-622-7314 or reach out to us on our Facebook page" said Terango.

 

Festival activities officially kick off next Saturday, June 19, 2021, with the return of the Spring Gala and the Announcement of Regina Maria the 43rd at Village Square Conference.