The 42nd annual Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival begins today, Friday, July 25, with plenty of food, entertainment and fun for the entire family at Wheeling’s Heritage Port. (Photo Provided)

WHEELING — This year the 42nd annual Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival kicks off today, Friday, July 25, and continues through Sunday, July 27, at Heritage Port in Wheeling.

This year’s festival focus will be food, fun and family. Besides Italian foods of homemade sausage and meatballs, wood-fired pizza and many more Italian dishes, there will also be foods from other cultures.

Entertainment will be ongoing throughout the festival with a Main Stage and an Italian Stage in the area known as Little Italy.

Special events include a veterans ceremony at 11 a.m. on Saturday, honoring all veterans in the Ohio Valley. At the conclusion of the ceremony there will be a hospitality tent with a light lunch and time for camaraderie.

On Sunday, a Catholic Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. with Bishop Mark Edward Brennan of the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese, preceded by the rosary at 9:40 a.m. Following the Mass beginning at 11 a.m. until sold out, a traditional spaghetti and meatball Sunday dinner will be available for purchase at the Little Italy food tent.

Other events for Sunday include gnocchi-making and limoncello-making demonstrations.

Beer, wine and the famous wine slushies will be available.

The children’s area is back with inflatables, games and fun for the kids.

Festival times are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The mission of the festival is to provide scholarships to local area students and to continue and share the Italian culture.

This year, $18,000 in scholarships were provided to local students. Recipients were two students from each of the six counties represented by the festival board: Belmont and Jefferson counties in Ohio, and Brooke, Hancock, Marshall and Ohio counties in West Virginia.

Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival Entertainment Schedule

Friday, July 25

Main Stage

– 12:30-1:30 p.m., Robert “Moose” Dodrill

– 5:30-6:45 p.m., Avanti

– 7:15-8:30 p.m., Ray Massa & The EuroRythms

– 9-10:30 p.m., Amici

Little Italy Stage

– 2:30-3 p.m., Shawn McClurg (Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra)

– 3:45-4:45 p.m., Cardio Drumming Expo

– 5-5:30 p.m. and 6-6:30 p.m., Turn It Out Dancers

Saturday, July 26

Main Stage

– 5:30-6:45 p.m., U.S. Kids

– 7:15-8:30 p.m., Spinning Jenny

– 9-10:30 p.m., The McCartney Project (Paul McCartney/Wings/Beatles tribute)

Little Italy Stage

– Noon to 1 p.m., Le Sorelle DiBacco

– 1:15-2:45 p.m. and 4:45-5:45 p.m., Mickey Dee (accordionist)

– 3-3:30 p.m. and 4-4:30 p.m., Turn It Out Dancers

Sunday, July 27

Little Italy Stage

– Noon to 1:15 p.m., Brasset Hounds

– 1:30-2 p.m., Folkloric Dance Ensemble

– 2:30-3:30 p.m., Faire May

– 4-5 p.m., Shawn McClurg (Dean Martin & Frank Sinatra)