Sicilian Festival

I’m taking my 90-​year-​old mother to the Sicilian Festival in Little Italy again this year. She loves the traditional Italian music and dancing, not to speak of the delicious Italian food and Sicilian specialties. It will be a great break from all the stress surrounding the recent County fires. It’s time for a bit of joy and happiness, and the Festival will deliver that!

A lesson in culture– Some Sicilians will be offended if you call them Italian. I learned this from an old school Sicilian, so I try my best to make that differentiation! So now you know… And knowing is half the battle… (If you know what quote I’m talkin’ about, then insert the rest here) haha
I attended the fest in 2011 because
1) I wanted to participate in the pasta eating contest, but chickened out.
2) Giada De Laurentiis was going to make an appearance
3) It was free
The fest had the standard food stand vendors and some new retailers. If you don’t mind walking, I say park off Kettner Blvd (by Hyde Edwards salon) or off India close to Grab N Go subs and walk. You’ll save time having to fight people for spots.

Not too bad a lot going on, If you want a little bit of Italian injected into your life go for it, did give me an urge to move to Italy for a year or two, so if any one has advice on that it would be helpful.
So warning it may make you want to move to Italy for some odd reason.

Unexpected day spent at the Sicilian fest in Little Italy. This was a treat. This block party featured three stages of music. Of course the typical assortment of foodies were available to purchase from the street vendors yet at the same time if people choose to do so the local restaurants were open. What an incredible opportunity for foodies to check out the local choices!
As with any street fest there were vendors selling their goods from olive oils to hats, scarves and purses.
Along one of the side streets was an area set up for family entertainment and kids bouncers. Face painting was available and yes I wanted my face painted but decided to NOT let my inner child come out that day.
On another side street was an area where you could meet and leanr about the about the local Italian community. It was neat to learn about how the fisherman impacted the local sea farin community in the past.
Over all an enjoyable day. I would make a point to check it out again next year.

I am really looking forward to the 2012 Sicilian Festa! It is a gem amidst a sea of cookie-​cutter street fairs that have become so ubiquitous in San Diego. (Sorry for the mixed metaphors!) Although I am not Italian, I love listening to the Italian music and watching the dancers in their colorful costumes. My only complaint is that it was very crowded last year. I wish it was a few blocks longer, to spread out the crowds some. But I guess you can’t blame the Festa for being popular. I give it 5 stars anyway. Where else can you have such great entertainment for free?

Sicilian Festival. I love you so.

I was born and raised on India St. in Little Italy in San Diego. 3^rd generation from Sicilian Immigrants. I have seen little Italy transformed from a couple of barber shops, shoe repair shops, and Italian delis. Most of which were owned by relatives.
The Sicilian Festa is something that we all look forward to each and every year. Because the early settlers were Sicilian, they brought with them their culture that is unique to Sicily, attending the Festa brings it all back to us.

I was so looking forward to the festival… and was so let down. These were my observations from the short amount of time that I could handle the chaos:
Way too many people
No one buying any food, drinks or merchandise
Beer Garden was way too small
Lack of other beers or wine
Long times between performances
Lack of talent for the performances
Overall attendance of rather low class, rude & clueless individuals
Maybe if they charged a small fee $ 5 or $ 10 to get in they would attract a better crowd and could afford better entertainment. Just a thought.
We definitely won’t be coming back.

2011 Review:
I’m updating my review based on this year’s 2011 Festival. It was so fun again! My friend and I got there early and found street parking close by. As it was Sunday there was no meter to pay — sweet. We got a cappuccino at a café and wandered from one end to the other, stopping when something or someone caught our eye. I especially loved the colorful costume and flag parade — it had a kind of homey feel like I was really in an Italian village joining in with the locals. The music on all the stages was very professional and entertaining and the food seemed authentic (not that I would really know), very tasty and not overpriced. Giada was, of course, awesome. She’s still way too pretty for a chef, but I couldn’t help like her anyway. I did think the kids section could use a few more activities. I didn’t bring my kids this year, but if I had I would have wanted more things specifically for them. I also thought the beer garden could have used a tent top for some shade. There are a lot of street fairs in San Diego but this is one of my favorites. It’s very entertaining but has warm, welcoming, neighborhoody feel and doesn’t seem to have been taken over by outside commercial businesses just there to make money. Yes, I’m a fan.
2010 Review:
This is such a fun festival! I love that I can bring my family and there’s something to make everyone happy — from giant slide to beer garden! And Giada De Laurentiis this year! I don’t know who’s more excited — me or my husband — for TOTALLY different reasons! I’m not in the slightest bit Sicilian, but the Sicilian Festival makes me wish I were!

Little Italy seems to have a festival or an art fair every month and whenever I go it seems to be the same event all over again. Same food vendors, same people, same street that its always on.
I usually end up walking up and down the street a few times before I realize this and then I either hang out at a local bar or I leave and find myself another bar thats close by with less traffic.
Dont get me wrong, if this review was for Little Italy, the neighborhood, it would be at least 4, probably 5 stars. I think its a great area.

I came here last year and it reminded me of the church fiestas my catholic school would do every year when I was a kid. No parking, overly crowded and carnival type foods. :-(