August, 2025. Clarksburg, WV. We are neither Italian-American nor from West Virginia, but we had a…read moreGREAT time at the 46th Annual West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival! Held mostly on Labor Day Weekend (this year, August 29, 39, & 31), there are food and activities galore to keep you and your family busy for a good part of August!
But, it all started with Pre-Festival Events, the first of which was the Bocce Tournament on August 16th. Saturday, August 23rd was a "Pasta Day", with a Pasta Cook-Off that featured not only sauce tasting and judging, but also the homemade wine contest, canned pepper contest, hot pepper eating competition, Run for the Rose, and raffles and entertainment. There was also a Pasta Palooza, at the same venue with all-day and evening entertainers. An Authors Forum was on the evening of the 26th. The 27th brought both the Golf Classic and the Elimination Dinner. Previously unfamiliar to me, the latter is a social, fund-raising event, with a cocktail hour and a buffet dinner including a filet carving station. But, there's also a raffle-style drawing to award $5000, (and smaller prizes), with ticket holders being "eliminated" from the big drawing when their numbers are called. Finally, the Honorees Award Ceremony was held on the evening of August 28th. Congratulations to this year's honorees: Joseph "Rocky" Romano and Sara Brunetti Aman, as Italian-American Man and Woman of the Year, and other honorees in other categories.
On the main weekend, highlights included: * Full days of ENTERTAINMENT on the Main Stage on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This included HEADLINE entertainment, including Frankie Avalon; 7 Bridges (an Eagles Tribute Band), local favorite AMICI, with a repertoire spanning American classic top-40, country, and Italian favorites; and Analisa and John Gallo, the music duo from Nashville. The stage was also the setting for the coronation ceremony of Regina Maria XLVI, local singers, jazz ensembles, dancers, an outdoor mass, and even a meatball eating contest. Amazingly, the festival provides all entertainment free of charge to the public, with bleacher seating available in front of the Harrison County Courthouse Plaza. * The Grand Feature PARADE, that really had a hometown feeling with local marching bands, local celebrities and politicians, firetrucks and snazzy cars, and, of course, participants throwing candy to the waiting kids on the sidelines. * FOOD & ARTISAN VENDORS. A shout-out to the Glen Elk Boys Italian Kitchen's food truck for their amazing Eggplant Parmesan sandwich. You also gotta try the local favorite, fritti, which can best be described as fried dough rolled in sugar. My husband also picked up a festival T-shirt, and is proudly showing off his green, red, and white pride. And, not to be forgotten: * CORONATION RECEPTION * BINGO. * MORRO CONTEST. * PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST. * KIDS ZONE. * 50/50 DRAWING.