Beware: a surging flood will invade Norton Street on Sunday October 30 from 10 am to 5 pm.
But don't worry; this flood isn’t a result of the heavy rains that have been beating down over New South Wales ― quite the contrary. It’s a flow of people, visitors, lovers of Italian culture and food, who will gather on Norton Street, the heart of Sydney’s Inner West's Little Italy, for the highly anticipated return of the 'Norton Street Italian Festa'.
According to the event organisers, who are currently finalising the very last details of a program full of events and exhibitions, around 150,000 people are expected to attend the event. This prediction takes into account the years preceding Covid-19, when the festival recorded staggering numbers, becoming one of the most visited Italian events in Australia with an average of over 100,000 people per edition.
After years of being cancelled due to Covid restrictions, the festival is returning to its home on Norton Street, marking the full-fledged debut of the Italian quarter.
The centre of Leichhardt was only officially renamed ‘Little Italy’ at the end of 2019, when the virus had already precluded the possibility of public celebrations. Sunday October 30 will thus be an inaugural event, which will see its streets populated with tricolours, Italian exhibitors, chefs and fine Made in Italy products, cars included.
The Norton Street Festa aims to promote Italian culture in all of its aspects and, to this end, nothing will be left to chance.
On the main stage near the local Town Hall, guests, VIPs and politicians will share the spotlight. Certainly, the stars of the day's entertainment, entrusted to the expert hands of Sydney's Co.As.It., will be Joe Avati and Cosima De Vito.
Close by, a stage dedicated to Italian cuisine will also delight festival-goers.
Italian chefs will take turns bringing traditional regional recipes to the public, in a journey that will traverse the Boot from north to south, with cannoli, zeppole, fried pizzas, prosciutto, gnocchi, octopus, carpaccio. There will be something for all tastes and all ages. In fact, the festival is designed to accommodate families and children, in particular, who will have the chance to discover Italian culture through dedicated interactive cooking classes, and large communal tables where they can spend time together, as if they were at one of Italy's Patron Saint festivals.
The Pioneer Memorial Park, on the other hand, will showcase Made in Italy automobiles at their finest: Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Abarth, Ducati, Aprilia and Piaggio. Cars, motorbikes, and the iconic worldwide symbol of Italian style: the Vespa.
With Christmas less than two months away, the Norton Festa is also anticipating that patrons might be looking to buy some genuine Italian gifts for their friends and loved ones.
Among the exhibitors, there will be no shortage of Christmas collections for sale, ensuring that the Italian Festa will live on in the homes of visitors all year round.
