Festa Italiana

2025

Friday May 30th

5:00PM - 11:00PM

Saturday May 31st

11:00AM - 11:00PM

Sunday June 1st

12:00PM - 9:00PM

Admission

$15.00

Children 12 and under free with an Adult

Located at the Henry Maier Festival Park

200 N Harbor Dr | Milwaukee, WI | 53202

Thank you to our Sponsors!

“The Paisan” Sponsors:

Sponsored by Matt Craft

In Honor of All of the Festa Volunteers

In Honor of Rose Purpero Spang

In Memory of Vito and Eleanor Muccio 

In Memory of Ralph and Helen Smarelli

In Memory of Virginia "Gee Gee" Davis 

In Memory of Donna Smarelli

Sponsored by Lory Wycklendt

 

In Memory of Nicholas C. De Leo, M.D.

US Cellular

Stage

Milwaukee’s longest running ethnic festival vocal competition will celebrate our 18th year at Festa Italiana 2025. The Italian Idol show will be Saturday, May 31st, 8:00PM-10:00PM on the Aurora Pavilion Stage on the Henry W. Maier Festival Grounds.

Italian Idol is an amateur vocal talent competition for those 14 years of age and older. As determined by a panel of judges, we will be crowning our 2025 Italian Idol, and awarding a total of $1,000 in cash prizes.

This is NOT karaoke, and your performance will be judged on multiple criteria. All genres of music are welcome, and you need not be of Italian heritage.

To be selected for the competition, submit an audition video for consideration. Please email your video, contact information, and any questions to the Director, Sandy Winard: sdubya002@gmail.com

Festa Raffle

Tickets $10 Each or 3 for $25

First Prize: Vespa 50cc fully automatic

Second Prize: $2,000

Third Prize: $1,000

Pre-sale tickets available at the ICC Office

Monday - Friday 10:00AM-4:00PM

631 E Chicago St

MIlwaukee, WI 53202

Festa Fireworks!

Saturday May 31st

10:30PM

Food Vendors

TIMELINE

  • Now – April 30: Enter Your Sauce

  • May 3: Initial Judging Round held at St. Rita Square

    • There will be two categories – meat and meatless red sauces

    • Contestants should bring one quart of sauce in slow cooker with ladle

    • Top 3 finalists in both categories will be named to compete at Fest Italiana on June 1

  • June 1: Festa Italiana, MKE Best Sauce Competition at Aurora Pavilion on Summerfest Grounds

    • Finalists will need to provide 3 gallons of sauce

    • A heated Nesco container will be provided for you to prepare and transport

    • $40 gift cards will be provided to finalists to offset ingredients

Cost is $10 per sauce entry. 

The winner of the match advances to the next round of play. In the first round, only the loser moves to the consolation round.
After the first round, the winning team will continue to advance up the finals with the winner taking first, loser, taking second. Any loss after the first round eliminate that team from future play.
In the constellation round, only winning teams will advance with the winner of the consolation round wins third place. Any loss after the first round eliminates that team from future play. 

Carry-In information

The following items are ALLOWED:

  • Umbrellas

  • Strollers

  • Disposable Camera

  • Small Camera (No Professional Grade Cameras and Video Equipment)

  • Small Bag, Cinch bag, or Purse:

The following items are NOT ALLOWED:

  • Backpacks (special consideration will be given for parents with infants and those with medical needs)

  • Large Bags over 9X10X12 inches

  • Camelback style hydration packs

  • Picnic Baskets

  • Outside food and beverages (unless needed for infants, medical or dietary needs)

  • Cans and Glass/Plastic or Metal Containers (including Yeti type bottles, tumblers, thermos, and disposable plastic bottles)

  • Coolers or other hard side containers

  • Stainless steel reusable drinking straws

  • Self-defense sprays (such as OC, pepper spray or mace)

  • Aerosol cans (except for spray sunscreens 6oz or less, 1 per patron)

  • UAV-Drones

  • Alcohol

  • Illegal drugs or substances

  • Firearms (no open or concealed weapons/firearms)

  • Knives

  • Weapons or objects that could be used as weapons

  • Fireworks, sparklers, or explosives

  • Professional cameras (cameras with a detachable lens or lens that extends further than 3 inches) or video equipment

  • Recording devices

  • Brooms/broomsticks, selfie sticks, poles, trekking sticks, and tripods

  • Pets (except service animals, or during special events or promotions)

  • Banners or flags on poles

  • Laser pointers

  • Skateboards, roller skates, inline skates or hoverboards

  • Foot powered or electric scooters

  • Bicycles, tricycles or unicycles

  • Wagons

  • Kites

  • Hula-hoops, Frisbees, and beach balls

  • Stadium seats, Sit-Upon, seat cushions, and lawn chairs

*This list is not exhaustive. Items not appearing on the list may still be prohibited at the discretion of MWF Security if the items pose a potential threat to safety of our guests or due to event restrictions

Milwaukee World Festival, Inc. d/b/a Summerfest reserves the right to alter carry-in item policies at any time. MWF will not offer accommodations for prohibited items and are not responsible for items left behind in the screening process.

Interested in volunteering?

Click the photo below to signup

 

Festa Italiana will be held at the

Henry Maier Festival Park

200 N Harbor Dr

Milwaukee, WI 53202