Eat, drink and be Italian was the motto of the day and we certainly obliged!
Last Saturday my girlfriends and I had a a great time when we attended the 2nd Festa Italiana held in downtown Punta Gorda; since then, I have not been able to get that Mambo Italiano song out of my head. Hey Mambo, Mambo Italiano…(repeat) LOL
The Festa took place over the weekend (Saturday-Sunday) and it was well attended. On the day we were there, we enjoyed delicious food (Sausage and peppers subs, chicken parmesan, arepas–yummy!) live music, a juggling pizza performer, and lots of dancing and singing, all under the sunny (but slightly cool) Florida skies, temperatures hovered around 65-70 degrees along the Peace River.
Admission to the event was $4, free parking was available in the surrounding areas including the grounds of the courthouse; all told, a very budget friendly event and part of the proceeds were donated to local charities. I even witnessed a couple of people arriving by boat, the marina was pretty busy attending to the needs of its nautical commuters. Something for everyone, no one was left out.
Bounce houses, slides and rides were there for children to enjoy, the live band played all the traditional and popular Italian songs which had us all singing or humming, and dancing happily. Vendors displayed and sold a variety of products: sauces, handbags, crafts, jewelry, and more; which made for a good shopping experience. Fireworks over the Peace River marked the end of each day.
Hey mambo, mambo Italiano… Mamma mia, please, get this song out of my head!
Chica on the Move 
Hi Marcia, My name is Michael Della Camera and I am the guy thats puts Festa Italia together..Im glad you enjoyed your day… just want to let you know that Festa Italia is going to be held in Twin Lakes Park,Sarasota next year..Just off Exit 205. Clark Rd on January 26th-27th hope to see you there.
LikeLike
Hi Michael, thanks for the info, I will keep an eye out for the next Festa; you did a great job in Punta Gorda! Send me a reminder in time for the Sarasota event, and I’ll try my best to be there.
LikeLike
Here is your reminder,,
Festa Italia will be held next weekend the 26th-27h at Twin Lakes Park..Just off exit 205 Clark rd
Hope you can make it
LikeLike
Hopefully I will be able to make it; thanks for the reminder,
LikeLike
I think Rosemary Clooney ( aunt of George) first recorded Mambo Italiano. I love this song, it is not a bad one to get stuck in your head.
LikeLike
I believe you are right; while searching YouTube, I found quite a few versions of it. It is a contagious song, lol!
LikeLike
Lovely place .. wish could be there too and attend this Festa Italia .. and now the sounds of “Hey Mambo .. mambo italiano” is spinning on my head .. yeah baby bring it on .. funny! Love your blog 😀
LikeLike
Great blog Marcia! Connecting here from LinkedIn Travel Blogger Network group – keep up the good work!
LikeLike
Miriam, Thanks for your kind comments and welcome to my blog, I am glad we are connected through the networks!
LikeLike
too bad we don’t have this kind of festival. i love italian pasta…
LikeLike
We all love Italian food; wonder what makes it so universally appealing?
LikeLike
Punta Gorda sure has changed since I lived there. The zeppoles look yummy!
LikeLike
Punta Gorda is becoming a real city with lots of restaurants and events going on all the time; and the arepas and zeppoles were really good. Thanks for leaving a comment!
LikeLike
Daren’t play the tune- I KNOW I’ll catch it and drive my husband mad! Those arrepos look good- not familiar with them. There’s a Punta Gorda just along the coast from us in Spain- small world. Wish I was there instead of playing in the snow today!
LikeLike
If you play that song it you’ll be humming it all week. I do not miss any part of snow, ughh!
i’m not surprised to hear there is another Punta Gorda (Fat Point) however, when we first moved down here over twenty years ago, I’d never heard of it before, It must be a coastal thing. LOL
LikeLike
Those vendors all looked TOO happy! Made me laugh. Looks like you ladies had a fun time. Decent price to get in too! Catchy tune! So cute! I’ll be singing it for days. I liked the dancing cooks and when one puppet ate the other’s one face (instead of the spagetti!) LOL
LikeLike
When I found that song on You Tube it put a smile on my face, I had to share; the only thing is I can’t get rid of it, been humming all week.
We had a fabulous time; we promised to get together again this weekend to attend a Regatta on the Harbor, but decided to rest instead. There is something going on downtown every weekend until the end of March.
LikeLike
Awesome! You’re so busy!! I’m still looking for a blog conference so I get to meet you! I haven’t given up!! What was your town again?
LikeLike
I have not found any conferences yet but I am hoping for something in Atlanta. I live in SW Florida (Port Charlotte) but will travel to Orlando, Miami or Atlanta, since the are very convenient to me.
LikeLike