Italian Week Ottawa announces 2017 festival line-up

NEWS RELEASEFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 10, 2017 – Ottawa, Ontario – Italian Week Ottawa Ottawa, are you ready for one BIG ITALIAN “festa”? From June 8 to 18, 2017, you will have the opportunity to join us in “Being Italian” by experiencing Italian culture for an entire week in the Nation’s Capital. The 11-day Italian Week Ottawa festival launches on Thursday, June 8, with a flag raising ceremony at 10 am at Ottawa City Hall. Ottawa’s Deputy Mayor, Bob Monette, representatives from Italy’s Embassy to Canada, city councillors and other members of the local Italian-Canadian community will attend and officially open the festival. Following the ceremony, there will be a small reception catered by DiRienzo’s inside City Hall, and all are welcome. To start off Italian Heritage Month, join us for our Italian Night at the Raceson June 1 at the Rideau Carleton Raceway. Come celebrate Italian heritage and watch the harness racing while enjoying an Italian buffet dinner. Entertainment by Tequila Band. Tickets can be purchased online: italianweekottawa.eventbrite.com Join us for our annual gala on Friday, June 9 at 6 pm at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall (at St. Anthony St. and Preston St.). The gala is not to be missed and will include a five-course meal, and entertainment by the Grand Show Band, featuring Johnny and Christina Capobianco.  Tickets can be purchased online as of 3pm on May 10: italianweekottawa.eventbrite.com. If you love comedy as much as we do, this year, we’ll have two Italian-Canadian comedians performing during the Italian Week Ottawa festival, resulting in double the laughter! Frank Spadone will be headlining from June 8-10 at Yuk Yuk’s on Elgin Street, and Guido Cocomello will take the stage from June 12-18 at Absolute Comedy on Preston Street! Tickets are available online. We are pleased to once again collaborate with PaintNite in bringing you four Italian-inspired painting sessions on June 14, 15 and 16 at Da Santino and June 18 at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall. No experience is required! Just follow along while an official PaintNite instructor guides you step-by-step through the featured painting in about two hours. All supplies are included. Sign up at paintnite.com and use code ItalianNite to receive a 30% discount. A few other highlights during the week include a seniors’ dinner at Villa Marconi on June 8; St. Anthony’s Feast Weekend, June 10-11; a Books and Biscotti event at the Italian Canadian Historical Centre on June 11; Sculpting class with award-winning figurative artist, Maria Saracino on June 13 at Stoneface Dolly’s on Preston, Parolissima art exhibition at the Italian Canadian Historical Centre, June 16-18, and more! The party keeps on going with our Grand Finale Weekend, June 16 to 18. Entertainment will take place under the big white tent in the city of Ottawa parking lot next to the soccer field at 301 Preston Street. There will be food vendors on-site and lots of opportunities to enjoy Italian food and drink all weekend long. On June 16 and 17, come down and check out the Ferrari Demo Zone starting at 6 pm.  Montreal-based comic, Joe Cacchione, is not your typical comedian. School principal by day and funny man by night, Cacchione will have you laughing in your seats as he takes on the role of MC on June 16 and 17. On June 16, our opening act, Rio and the Rockabilly Revival, take the stage at 7 pm. On lead vocals is Rio Scafone, a raven-haired Rock and Roll angel, with Calabrese roots. Her uncle is even known as one of the original Rocakbilly pioneers of the 1950s. Friday night is our Rock and Roll themed night and things will really heat up when headliner, Enrico Capuano and T-Rock hit the stage at 8:30 pm. All the way from Italy, this group will have you up and dancing to their unique folk-rock Italian sound! The night will cap off at 10 pm with entertainment by Italian-Canadian performer, DJ Momentum.  Having recently returned to the National Capital Region, DJ Momentum was selected by the Juno Awards as the best DJ company in Ottawa. Do you love art? Join us on June 17 and 18 for the Little Italy Art Tour and check out Preston’s vibrant art scene. Preston Street artists will have their latest creations on display. There will also be workshops planned for artists of all levels and interests. For more information, visit italianweekottawa.ca. On June 17, the annual Italian Car Parade takes to Preston Street at 1 pm. Evening entertainment on the Grand Finale Weekend mainstage will kick off with opening act, Michael Castaldo at 7 pm. Award-winning songwriter and producer, Castaldo will sing classic Italian songs, transporting you to the Italy of your dreams. At 8:30 pm, Italian-Canadian musician and international performer, Marco Calliari will headline and delight the crowd with both traditional and new Italian melodies.  The show closes with DJ Momentum at 10 pm. On June 18, we celebrate Father’s day with our Family Day, which includes local talent of the likes of Jessica Leung Tuk and company at 6 pm, and Youth X Canada Music Tour 2017at 7 pm. This energetic group of young music artists from different musical backgrounds is travelling across Canada as part of Canada’s 150th anniversary, encouraging everyone to celebrate the wonder of Canada’s rich cultural and musical diversity. The weekend closes with local favourite, Disco Inferno when they hit the stage at 9 pm. They were a huge hit at last year’s festival and we look forward to once again dancing to their undeniably contagious disco hits! Our Grand Finale Weekend is open to all ages. Bring the family down to our kids’ zone, which features an Italian- themed bouncy world and children’s entertainment, Mr. Chris & the Gassy Bubbles – open to families on June 17 and 18 from 12 to 8 pm. The Grand Finale Weekend couldn't be possible without the help of our volunteers, local businesses and the Preston Street BIA, who are responsible for road closures and security that help make the Italian Car Parade, Ferrari Festival and bicycle race possible. QUOTE“The 2017 Italian Week Ottawa entertainment line-up promises to blend the traditional with a touch of rock and roll and a splash of fresh and modern Italian. The 2016 festival was a great success, allowing us to share our Italian culture with the greater Ottawa community. Our 2017 entertainment line-up builds on last year’s success representing the diversity of our Italian-Canadian community in Ottawa. This year, we will be celebrating Canada’s 150th anniversary, and we will welcome many visitors to Ottawa for the first time. We hope that visitors and long-time residents alike will join us in the spirit of celebrating everything we love about Being Italian!”

• Tony Mariani, President of Italian Week Ottawa