Southington's Italian-American Festival Celebrates Culture and History
- Avery Martin
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Southington’s annual Italian-American festival kicked off its 21st year on Friday, transforming downtown into a celebration of culture and heritage.
With food, music and vendors, the event is hosted yearly by the town chapters of the Sons of Italy, Sorelle d’Italia and the UNICO club. It aims to bring together people of all backgrounds to experience Italian-American culture.
“I was born in Italy, so I was brought up with a lot of this. It warms my heart to see this continue, and I hope the next generation will pick up and continue it,” said Sue Rossetti, a member of the St. Luke Parish Italian Rosary Society.
Attendees at the festival were able to try Italian cuisine such as pasta e fagioli and learn more about Italian customs and history. Jennifer Benevento, the founder of Branches To Roots, also offered Italian-American locals a space to reflect on what their ancestry means to them.
Benevento helps Americans with Italian heritage to plan trips to their ancestral towns and villages. Her booth featured handwritten notes from visitors who reconnected with their heritage at the festival. She said Southington’s embrace of Italian culture brought back memories of her grandparents.
“Look at this festival," said Benevento. "They would be so happy to know that we're so proud of our Italian heritage."
Southington is home to more than 10,000 residents of Italian-American descent, according to American Community Survey data from 2021. That is about 25% of the population, and represents the largest ethnic group in town. Festival attendees and vendors from across the state were also present to share what their culture means to them.
Lucia Loveless is from Bristol, but is Italian-American and proudly shows her heritage through her company Lucibella. Her handmade jewelry, personally drawn cards and unique vintage items for sale are all tied to Italian folklore and customs.
“We have some beautiful traditions. A lot of it is also around food. You'll see a lot of food imagery in my brand. The kitchen is where we laugh, where we cry, where we pray, where we come together and celebrate birthdays, holidays, life in general. I think that brings me joy, and I love having that in my tradition and my culture, so it's all about celebrating that,” said Loveless.
That pride in traditions and heritage is also shared by the organizers, including David Zoni, Chair of the UNICO club. Zoni, himself a third-generation Italian-American, said it is part of Italian culture to show visitors customs and traditions they may not be familiar with.
“It's a culture that I think will live a long time. [Italians] are a passionate people. They care about their communities. They care about passing down the food, everything that's Italian. They have a long history,” said Zoni. “I love the music. I love the food. I love everything about it.”
For some, the celebration of Italian-American history is more important than ever. Early Italian immigrants often faced racism and hostile environments upon arriving in the United States, something Benevento says their descendants still remember today. That legacy, she says, helps her relate to other groups in a similar situation now.
“A lot of people in our country are not feeling welcome. Sometimes people forget that we were unwelcome a hot minute ago,” said Benevento. “This is a moment for people to connect to something deeper than them, and when you put yourself in that spot and you realize you're a little smaller than you think you are, that humbleness helps you greet the rest of the world with a different kind of love.”
