Wilmington Brings Italian Culture to the City Streets

June 19, 2019

Forty-five years later, and St. Anthony’s Italian Festival is still very much so a Wilmington tradition. Thousands of people gather every year at the St. Anthony Roman Catholic church on North Dupont Street to celebrate the rich culture of Italy. Nestled in between five surrounding city blocks, the festival sits directly in the middle of a thriving neighborhood, truly making this event one for the community. Sunday, June 9th kicked off the first day of the event, and over a span of eight days, the festival was sure to defend its reputation as one of, if not the largest annual festival in the city. Created to honor the life of the church’s patron saint, this event holds onto its tradition dedicating its final day of celebration to organizing a worshiping ceremony, feast, and procession of saints. Though the festival holds much meaning to those who practice traditional Italian customs, the celebration does a great job of welcoming all to learn and enjoy the culture.

Like any good festival, the event provided food, music, art, merchants, and a carnival for all its guests. Food vendors lined the streets as people poured in to get a taste of some of the regions most popular Italian cuisine. One stand that attracted a consistent influx of customers was a Pennsylvania based restaurant called Luigi and Giovanni’s. The two men have been in business since 1976 and with a passion for the business, great service, and commitment to their culture; they’ve established themselves as a top local deli, butcher, and catering company in the Delaware Valley region.

The company brought their storefront to the streets of Wilmington and came prepared with an extensive made-to-order menu. “People really come to our stand for the porchetta sandwiches with broccoli rabe on it,” said Luigi and Giovanni employees Madison Sonderman and Sarah Dalli. “We roast a whole pig, chop it up, and pour the juice on it…then we add sharp provolone and peppers. It’s our restaurant’s most popular item. We did 600-700 orders yesterday!” they further explained.

Vendors sold a unique selection of art, jewelry and clothing; all which represented the Italian culture. Many were seen buying t-shirts with witty and popular quotes written in the native tongue, while others decorated their tents with large Italian flags.

While multiple wine/spirits bar set ups catered to the adults, an entire carnival of nearly 20 rides and lots of games spread across the Father Tucker Memorial Park caught the attention of most children in attendance. Dozens of children could be found racing, tossing, and competing for giant stuffed animals, live goldfish, and up to $100 cash prizes!

For those who opted for a more relaxed and family oriented feel, one of the three music stages  was probably the best bet. Local and scouted talents performed live traditional Italian music, as well as contemporary and classic rock tunes. The Mardels, a returning act to this year’s festival, stole the show with their upbeat sounds and crowd interaction.

“We formed the band in the 60’s when we were in high school. As kids we played this festival every night from the years 1964-68. Nowadays we play one night during the festival,” said the band’s guitarist, Mario Frabizzio. The band’s newest addition, and keyboardist Joe Cincotta, described their sound as “classic rock & roll music from the 60s to the 90s” and said that “the last seven years with the band have been great.”

When asked why they make it a point to return to the city’s Italian festival every year, Frabizzio replied, “We’re neighborhood kids; you can see our houses from here.” The band’s drummer Michael DelGrosso chimed in saying, “We used to play in front of the old school, before all of this was ever here. This was called St. Anthony’s carnival back then…so when they say ‘the local talent,’ you’re looking at it right here!”

Although the event staff and entertainment is made up of students and the working class, everyone still puts in effort to come together for a greater cause.

“We’re all volunteers and we do a lot of work, so I like to play in the band to get a break. This is easier than working,” joked Frabizzio who by day is a licensed clinical psychologist—DelGrosso and Cincotta both a local shop owner and school guidance counselor.

The band explained that despite the rising number of people moving out of the city and into the suburbs, there are still a lot of locals who are invested in maintaining Wilmington’s community feel. People attend the festival every year largely because all of its proceeds are donated to the St. Anthony’s grade school, making this festival a tradition that most expect to stick around for years to come.

By: Briana Harris | @brikeey