Tasting Journal

Italian Festival in Mitchellville, Md.

Hurricane Hanna brought gusty winds and heavy rainfalls to the DC metro area early last weekend. But luckily, the rain drizzled out by late Saturday night, and by Sunday, the sun was shining brightly… just in time for 46th annual Italian Festival in Mitchellville, Md.

It was my first time attending the event, and after the wonderful experience I had that afternoon, I’m looking forward to going back again next year.

There was a lot of food… homemade pizza, pasta, calzone, Italian sausages, polenta, grilled chicken, pasta fritta, cannoli… And a lot of beer and wine… So many people offered me drinks, but unfortunately since I was working, I couldn’t imbibe in any alcoholic beverages. One guy, however, gave me a bottle of wine to take home and drink later. It was really nice of him. I tried the wine later that evening, and it was pretty good.

In addition to the amazing food, there was also music and entertainment. The Monaldi Brothers Band played traditional and modern Italian music, and later Richie “G” performed some vocals. Activities for the kids were plentiful… there was a football toss, basketball, face painting, and a magician.

Admission was free, but the food and beverages were not. The prices ranged from $3.00 to $10.00, depending on the item. All proceeds go to the Villa Rosa nursing home every year. Last year the festival raised $23,000, and the money was used to buy a bus for the residents to travel around town in.

According to the committee members, the festival usually takes place on the second Sunday of September… that is, unless there is a Redskins game, in which case they’ll reschedule to a different Sunday. “When the Redskins play, people don’t come out,” Father Anthony said. “And if they do come out, everyone brings these little portable televisions… and they don’t walk around and hang out.”