Festa Italiana canceled for third year in a row

For the third year in a row, Festa Italiana has been canceled. The popular summer festival previously canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rose Anne Fritchie, Festa director and president of the Italian Community Center, made the announcement Friday afternoon. Fritchie cited the lasting economic impact of the pandemic as the reason for the cancelation.

Here’s her statement:

COVID-19 has impacted virtually every business and industry across the country. Unfortunately, Festa Italiana in Milwaukee is among the festivals that has to adapt after the economic impact of the past two years.

The social impact of holding Festa Italiana is near and dear to our hearts and brings with it a stronger bond between the Italian Community Center and the City of Milwaukee. We have always been proud to be the oldest of the ethnic festivals in Milwaukee. However, we are at a point in time where we must think of not only the physical health of our members, but also the financial health of our organization when planning events.

The Italian Community Center would like to thank the many volunteers and attendees who make it possible to hold such a prestigious festival every year. Stay tuned for more information about what the Italian Community Center has planned for celebrating Italian culture and heritage in 2022.

In happier news, many Milwaukee summer festivals are set to return in 2022. Locust Street Festival (June 12), Summer Soulstice(June 18), Center Street Daze (August 13), and Fromm Petfest (September 24) have announced their returns in recent days. Summerfest will be back, too, June 23-25, June 30 – July 2, and July 7-9.