By Abby Cambiano

Northeast News

May 31, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – The Kansas City chapter of UNICO will host its annual Festa Italiana from Friday, June 2 through Sunday, June 4 at Zona Rosa.

For the 11th year, Zona Rosa will host the event, which includes food and wine, entertainment, a children’s play area, a heritage exhibit booth, a car and motorcycle show, a soccer tournament and more. Over the past six years, Festa Italiana has awarded more than $300,000 in scholarships to high school students and has had more than 500,000 attendees.

UNICO, which means “unique” in Italian, stands for unity, neighborliness, integrity, charity and opportunity. Between the 1880s and 1920s, over five million Italians immigrated to America. The Kansas City chapter started in 1949, and members meet monthly at local Italian restaurants. Previous venues of Festa Italiana have included Crown Center, Concourse Park in the Northeast, City Market and St. Pius X High School.

On Sunday, UNICO will award $50,000 in scholarships to outstanding graduating high school students of Italian-American heritage. A Catholic Mass will also be held outdoors on Sunday at 10 a.m. officiated by Father Vincent M. Rogers, UNICO Kansas City’s chaplain.

A 3-on-3 soccer tournament presented by Domino’s Pizza will be played throughout Friday and Saturday. Jaques Tournoy said soccer, or football to the rest of the world, is the most popular sport in Italy.

“Played on the streets of Zona Rosa, this is a fun, fast-paced, outdoor soccer tournament,” Tournoy said. “Teams are placed into divisions based on age levels, and games will be played during our Festa Italiana on Friday and Saturday.”

Music and dance are a huge part of Festa Italiana. This year’s event will host the Sicilian Tenors, Moreno Fruzzetti, an Italian native, Joseph Vincelli, Tony Antonucci, the Mathenia Family, The Gumbas and The Abel Ramirez Trio. Lights Out, named “America’s #1 Tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons” will perform Saturday at 9 p.m.

Local talent includes Kate Cosentino, Katherine Viviano (performing in her 13th Festa Italiana), Frank Cherrito, the Viviano Brothers, Vince Scola (who has been performing at Italian festivals for over 20 years), the Cascone Sisters, Frank Ancona, Maria Gabriella Milazzo, fifth graders Isabella Mandacina and Giuliana Siraguso, Frank Vigliaturo, the Miller Marley Entertainers and MelRoe’s School of Dance. Jasper Mirable, owner of Jasper’s Restaurant and Marco Polo’s Italian Market and host of Jasper’s Kitchen radio show, will be broadcasting live at 11 a.m. Saturday.

Kansas City has a rich history of Italian heritage, and UNICO works to preserve and celebrate that through charity and events like Festa Italiana. The group, which has more than 120 members, promotes the idea of “service above self.”

“We do more than celebrate being Italian-American this weekend,” UNICO Kansas City President Marc Enna said. “We give something back to ensure that our own children grow to be strong, happy and educated for generations to come.”

The event is free to the public, but any purchases made go toward UNICO’s scholarship fund. Festa Italiana will be open on Friday from 5-11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Visit unicokc.org for more information and a schedule of events.