13th annual Ciao, Italia! festival October 10, 2009

The Ciao, Italia! festival is brought to you by The Christopher Columbus Italian Club of Charlotte. The festival was created in 1996 as a way to share Italy's rich culture, traditions, arts, wine and cuisine with Charlotte and the surrounding areas.

The day features non-stop entertainment such as our annual performances by the Opera Carolina Chorus, the Northwest School of the Arts Chamber Group, Italian singing sensation Franco Corso from San Remo, Italy, our very own Italian dancers, and the always entertaining international pizza toss champions (as seen on The Food Network)! Cultural artifacts are on display for you to browse and the Church of Latter Day Saints will be on hand to do Italian ancestry searches! Festival-goers will enjoy a chef’s corner were you’ll experience the wonderful art of making mozzarella! There will be book signings by several local Italian authors, wine tastings and a variety of children's activities. There will also be Italian luxury cars and Vespa scooters on display! You can find Italian T-shirts and souvenirs for sale in our "Bottega". Don’t forget to buy raffle tickets to win many great prizes and a chance to win our Grand Prize of $1,000!

And what would an Italian festival be without food? The Club's famous sausage and peppers top the menu, along with eggplant parmigiana sandwiches, pasta, pizza, Italian ice and an array of mouthwatering Italian pastries and cookies. Wine, Italian beer, soft drinks, cappuccino and espresso are also available.

This is a ONE DAY ONLY rain or shine event so, come bring the family and enjoy a day of Italian culture!

Where: the Wachovia Plaza atrium (uptown) - The Wachovia Plaza bldg. is located in uptown Charlotte on the corner of South Tryon Street and W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (formerly 2nd St.). Parking is available in the Two Wachovia Center Parking Garage off W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd..

Event Contact Phone: (704) 614-3822

Official Website: http://www.italian-club-charlotte.org