Downtown Reno is getting ready for one of the most popular events in our community where guests can experience Italy's rich culture and cuisine right in the heart of the biggest little city, the 41st Great Italian Festival.
"There's a lot of food that's involved, with anything Italian has food involved," said Tony Marini, VP of Casino Operations at THE ROW. "And we do a great job with food, mushroom raviolis, artichokes and sausage, sfingi, Gino's flatbread, tortellini cream sauce, chicken parmesan, you can get it all right here on the street starting this weekend."
Every year Italian families from all over prepare and serve their sacred family recipes for guests to taste. More than twenty families compete in the cook-off.
Marini says he's excited to find out who the winner will be on Sunday, "Our sauce cookers, we're going to crown first, second, and third place for the best sauce. We get people's choice, we get chef's awards, so come down on Sunday, late afternoon, and we're going to crown a winner of the Great Reno Italian Festival."
Besides all the homemade cuisines, the Italian Festival also has non-stop live entertainment, artisan shopping, cooking and grape stomping competitions, a kid's zone, and activities for the entire family. And something new people can expect this year, the wine walk.
"You can go vendor to vendor, booth to booth, and taste wine and enjoy," said Marini. "It's right on locomotion plaza, they're going to make it feel like Italy in there and decorate it all up nice so we're looking forward to that."
For $25 per person, participants will receive a commemorative 2oz tasting glass and get to experience interactive zones within the wine walk area offering various hang out spots and lawn games. Of course, you must be at least 21 years old to participate in that.
Marini told us his favorite part of the entire event is how much importance it holds in his family.
"Being a part of it for all forty-one, it's actually a staple in our family," he said. "So, from my grandparents, to my mom, and my dad, and my kids now, it's just a huge part of our family and we all look forward to being together for Italian festival."
The Italian Festival is a free event that will be open Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
