By KATRINA BRANDON
IF last year was any indicator, the Mirboo North Italian Festival was once again a massive success, as more than 30,000 people attended.
On Sunday (February 11), the annual Italian Festa went ahead as usual, featuring food stalls, performances and souvenirs.
While the food was cooking, so were attendees in 34-degree Celsius conditions. This didn’t worry the crowds, though.
According to the organiser, Rosie Romano, people just adapted to the intense heat and said that this year was the first time that it was warm for the event.
“This is the first ever hot day we have had. Usually, it rains on the Saturday and then gets cooler on the Sunday,” she said.
“It’s been a different experience for it to be really hot. People moved furniture out of the sun and into the shade. People adapted to it. There is a lovely breeze now. We are really happy with how it turned out.”
In 2016, the Mirboo North Italian Festa was revamped by Rosie and others in her team of Lorella, Adele, Paula, Anna, Mary, Nucia, Gina, Maria, and their families and friends. Now, the festa has flourished, with over 200,000 followers on Facebook.
The morning was set to start at 10am, but people couldn’t wait any longer than 8.30am to begin arriving and viewing the incredible displays within the mercato, with some even beating stallholders to the punch.
Mass was the opening session on the main stage. Many people joined, either standing or sitting and praying among themselves. After mass, the statue of St. Paul was carried around the park, led by Mirboo North Primary School students, organisers, churchgoers and the flag throwers from Faenza, Italy.
While the mass was underway, people were already lining up for food from one end of the festival to the other. The build-up of people did not come gradually but all together. Busloads of people poured in from Melbourne and across Victoria. The ‘parking lot’ (football grounds) was jam-packed with thousands of cars.
Ms Romano said, “It’s just spread like wildfire. Every year, we seem to get more and more people, and we think, ‘Oh, people will be sick of it. They might not come.’ But really, they come with more people, more family, more friends.”
Travelling through the mercato felt like a step into Italy, even with all the Italian thrown around. Even this Express journalist had a go at speaking the festa’s native tongue: “Sono giornalista. Non parlo Italiano bene!”
It was a mix of who and who didn’t speak Italian at the event, and they tried to do both for most activities.
There were three mass areas, including one main stage where comedian James Liotta kept things moving throughout the day with quick flicks of humorous takes; another stage featured Nonna’s Cucina (kitchen) and magician Luigi Zucchini, who performed for the children.
All the stages ran throughout the day alongside the stalls, replaying some of their sets that may have been missed due to all the excitement. Where mass had sat in the morning became a free-for-all-dance stage throughout the day where passionate viewers danced to Top Shelf Duo, Dean Canan and Lisa Asta, the Siesta Cartel and performer Bree.
Clearing the dance floor once was challenging, but twice, it was harder for the flag throwers. The continued concentration fascinated the audience, with not one but all videoing each throw, waiting for one to drop or miss. Even the toss behind the knee and hands-free throws kept audiences on their toes, ready for the Faenza performers to drop the flags.
As soon as the flag-throwing was over, it was back to surrounding the stage for James Liotta’s competition sector, where a group of people ate a bowl of spaghetti as fast as possible with no cutlery or hands. The two-time winner, NSW citizen Michael Nativo, once again claimed the title.
“What inspires you to come back and win again?” Liotta asked.
“My brother told me I couldn’t come back without the win,” Mr Nativo said.
Off to the next competition, Member for Eastern Victoria Region, Melina Bath and Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien, competed in una uva (grape) stomping competition and won.
The breath-taking moment called for a celebration with another Italian classic, Aperol Spritz.
Latrobe and Gippsland businesses such as Gippsland Water, Community Bank Mirboo North and District, Mirboo North and District Community Foundation, Destination Gippsland, Cummaudo Farms, Travellers Rest Hotel Thorpdale, Manny’s Market Morwell and Traralgon Market, Grandridge Brewery Bistro, and Cool Aqua Springs Water were large supporters of the event.
Overall, the day was a massive success not only for the festa but for the local businesses. Even Mirboo North Hotel was flooded with people.
Ms Romano said, “People had a ball, and they absolutely love it every year that we do. There are so many positive compliments. What can I say? It just gets bigger and better for us every year.”
“We are really happy with how it turned out. We love seeing people who are really happy.”
To watch out for next year, head to the Mirboo North Italian Festa Facebook page.
