Welcome to Seattle Center
The Italian Festival is September 26: 10am-7pm & September 27: 10am-6pm, 2026 in the Armory Food & Event Hall and Fisher Pavilion. The festival is part of the Seattle Center Festál series. It is free and open to the public.
Seattle Center Festál is a year-round series of 25 free cultural festivals, produced in partnership with community organizations. In 2022, Festál celebrated 25 years of stories and traditions, ushering in a new era of hybrid programming. Learn more about Festál and subscribe to the newsletter for updates.
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Time |
Performance |
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12:00pm-2:00pm |
· Popular solo artist playing many venues in and around Seattle. This is his first Festa appearance. |
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2:00pm-4:00pm |
· Consisting of Bonnie Birch, Nick Heiting and Paul Ostler, they’ll appear in the Wine Garden, on the Peroni Main stage and also accompany Fortissimo! Hear musical samples and learn all about them at their website. |
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4:00pm-6:00pm |
· Lenny Luzzi and Clayton Patterson always draw big crowds with their tunes and high-energy antics. Watch for them each afternoon in the big Wine & Beer Garden with everyone singing along. Now, That’s Amore! Ce La Luna Mezzo Mare – Lenny Luzzi, The RigaTones |
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Time(s) |
Activity |
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11:00am-12:00pm 1:00pm-2:00pm
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Sponsored by the Dante Alighieri Society of Washington Instructors: Lesson plan |
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Time(s) |
Chef |
Representing |
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12:00pm-12:45pm |
TBA |
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1:00pm-1:45pm |
Lorenzo Rizzo |
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2:00pm-2:45pm |
Tobie Robinson |
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3:00pm-3:45pm |
Fabio Carratelli |
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Time |
Activity/Performance |
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12:00pm-1:00pm |
· Returning to Festa year after year, this large and unique ensemble plays beautiful Italian music on mandolins of myriad sizes. |
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1:00pm-2:00pm |
· A rockin’ 6-piece from Salinas, CA called the Anthony “Nino” Lane Band, covering all your Italian favorites through the decades with an emphasis on danceability! |
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2:00pm-3:00pm |
Angela Petrucci and Amici · Festa welcomes the newest member of the musical artists’ team, vocalist Angela Petrucci who has been working the local club circuit for a couple years now. She recently added a dozen Italian numbers to her repertoire to capitalize on her Italian heritage of which she is very proud! |
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3:00pm-4:00pm |
· Mamma Mia! “Sorrento, Sinatra and Italianized Rock-n-Roll”…Tony & The Goombas will be playing your favorites for listening and dancing throughout the weekend. |
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4:00pm-5:00pm |
Fortissimo! with La Mezzanotte Trio · Known for many years as “Seattle’s Three Tenors,” these singers have been show-stoppers at Festa for over 20 years. Gino Lucchetti, Stephen Wall, Chai Ahrenius, brilliant operatic talents are awesome together! Always a standing ovation. |
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5:00pm-6:00pm |
· “Danny Q.” is known throughout the NW as a great Sinatra-like song stylist. When not fronting a 16-piece Big Band at nightclubs like Tula’s, he shows off his silky voice in more intimate gigs with a quartet. |
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6:00pm-7:15pm |
· A rockin’ 6-piece from Salinas, CA called the Anthony “Nino” Lane Band, covering all your Italian favorites through the decades with an emphasis on danceability! |
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Time(s) |
Activity |
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11:00am-12:00pm 1:00pm-2:00pm
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Sponsored by il Punto Italian Cultural Center Instructors: Lesson plan |
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Time(s) |
Chef |
Representing |
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12:00pm-12:45pm |
TBA |
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1:00pm-1:45pm |
Brad Inserra |
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2:00pm-2:45pm |
Jeremy Taisey |
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3:00pm-3:45pm |
Tony La Stella |
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Time |
Performance |
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11:00am-12:00pm |
· Seattle’s “Sicilian Diva” entertains audiences worldwide. When in Seattle, she’s usually at Vito’s or similar intimate cabarets. At Festa, Julie loves to play to her Italian side, performing songs from her childhood. |
|
12:00pm-1:00pm |
· Returning to Festa year after year, this large and unique ensemble plays beautiful Italian music on mandolins of myriad sizes. |
|
1:00pm-2:00pm |
· Sunday afternoon on the Peroni Main stage, The Ballard Sedentary Sousa Band presented classic Italian marches including the “March of the Bersaglieri” and “A Frangesa,” as well as excerpts from “Aida” and “il Trovatore.” Guaranteed to wake you up! |
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2:00pm-3:00pm |
· Now a regular on the Peroni Main stage, Rob Porcaro hails from Toronto, Canada and has been singing since he was 9 years old. In the late 60’s, he fronted the legendary “Thin Red Line” and immigrated with them to Seattle where he now sings at festivals like the Bite of Seattle the Taste of Tacoma and the San Gennaro Festival. |
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3:00pm-4:00pm |
· A rockin’ 6-piece from Salinas, CA called the Anthony “Nino” Lane Band, covering all your Italian favorites through the decades with an emphasis on danceability! |
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4:00pm-5:00pm |
Mary Marchese · Mary has been performing around the US and the world since the 80’s. Including performing for our troops in Korea, Guam, Okinawa, The Philippines, Diego Garcia, Hawaii, Turkey, Greece, Spain and ITALY! Come dance to some fun Italian-American and traditional Italian tunes! |
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5:00pm-6:00pm |
Fortissimo! with La Mezzanotte Trio · Known for many years as “Seattle’s Three Tenors,” these singers have been show-stoppers at Festa for over 20 years. Gino Lucchetti, Stephen Wall, Chai Ahrenius, brilliant operatic talents are awesome together! Always a standing ovation. |
OVERVIEW
Seattle Center Festál presents The Italian Festival in partnership with Festa Italiana. The Italian Festival is an annual festival inaugurated in 1988 to celebrate the joy of “All Things Italian”. With an approximate attendance of 25,000 people, the festival is the largest Italian American event in the Northwest, and one of the largest ethnic festivals in Seattle. It features art, music, food, dance and participatory activities for the entire family. Highlights include cooking demos, a classic car show, a dog show, and a world-famous “Grape Stomp” which must be seen to be believed!
HISTORY
Information provided by Festa Italiana
The organizational mission is as follows: "Whereas: Italians and Italian-Americans have made significant contributions to the economic, social and cultural development of the world; Therefore: Festa Italiana, Inc. hereby commits to promote Italian heritage and culture by means of education, preservation and celebration." The festival achieves these goals each year by presenting Festa Italiana, a series of events in Seattle running from late September through early October, culminating in a major community festival at the Seattle Center. Festa events focus on the cultural roots and history of Italians in America and the Northwest, and celebrate the arts, the food and the spirit that is uniquely Italian.
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