Italian Week Ottawa Festival Media Advisory

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMay 3, 2017 – Ottawa, Ontario – Italian Week Ottawa What do you love most about Italian culture? Is it the language, food or perhaps the music? 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. This year’s Italian Week Ottawa Festival promises to take you on a cultural journey, showcasing Italian Canadian comedians, international performers and local talent, including youth performers, family entertainment, delicious food and beverages and more. Events will take place at various locations in Ottawa’s Little Italy neighbourhood, located in the Preston street area. The 11-day festival officially launches on Thursday, June 8 at Ottawa City Hall, followed by the annual gala, which take place this year at St. Anthony’s Banquet Hall on Friday, June 9. The celebration continues throughout the week leading up to Grand Finale Weekend, June 16 to 18. On Wednesday, May 10, at 11 am, the Italian Week Ottawa Executive Committee will announce the 2017 line-up, as well as many other highlights of the 43rd annual Italian Week Ottawa festival. Join us at Trattoria Caffè Italia (250 Preston Street at Gladstone Avenue) and get the latest on this year’s festival.  Light snacks and refreshments will be served. QUOTE “The 2016 festival was a great success, allowing us to share our Italian culture with the greater Ottawa community. Our 2017 program will build 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