Organizers Deem 43rd Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival Bigger And Better Than Ever
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WHEELING - As the 43rd annual Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival came to an end Sunday, organizers are looking forward to making next year even bigger and better.
Festival chairman Tony Filberto said that each year the festival tries to outdo the previous year and he believes it achieved that goal this weekend.
"We feel every year you have to get better, and we feel that we got better over the last four or five years. We spent a lot of time planning this year, we moved some things and we have the kids zone," Filberto said. "I hope that the 44th festival is better than the 43rd, but it’s going to be a pretty hard one to top."
He added that this year's festival is one of the biggest he's ever seen.
The kids zone was a new addition to the festival which featured inflatables, games, rides, face painting, and popular characters meeting the children.
Filberto said that the kids zone was added to provide something for the youth who attend the festival.
"There’s something here for everyone. We had Italian dancers, Italian music, ’90s bands, and modern bands here. But we needed something for the young ones down here, so we had a kids zone to make it family friendly," Filberto said. "Now the whole festival is set up so that when you walk in, there’s something that’s going to interest everyone."
Festival President Michele Fabbro believes the festival hit the jackpot on this year's weather.
"We were really fortunate this year. No rain and no hot weather, and that that usually does not happen. We usually get one or both of those terrible things. And this year, Saint Medard has answered our call, he is the Italian patron saint of good weather," Fabbro said. "I just want to thank all of the people that have come here in the last three days. It’s been a wonderful crowd."
Filberto added that this year's festival doubled the amount of vendors.
"Last year we had 37 vendors and we have 68 vendors this year, so that was part of our motivation," he said. "Through the planning stages, we decided that we needed more vendors so we brought in numerous Italian vendors, which was most of them. So we’ve done some great things this year."
Fabbro added that this year included more local vendors than ever before.
"We figured if these people from Florida and wherever are going to make money on this festival, we should have some local people doing the same thing," Fabbro said. "So this year Little Italy has been reinvented so that most of the Italian vendors are all together in a group. You had your choice of just about any kind of Italian food that you want. We also had some of the most fabulous entertainment."
Filberto said that his favorite part of the festival was the Veterans Appreciation Ceremony that occurred on Saturday.
"I normally don’t take on one particular project, but I always attach myself as the chairman of the veterans ceremony because I think it’s just so special. Because if it weren’t for our veterans, we wouldn’t have the capability to have these festivals that we have today. We have the freedom to do those kinds of things. So I attach myself to that," Filberto said.
He added that this year was a little extra special because it honored 102 year old Navy First Lieutenant Joseph Gompers, a World War II veteran who was on the USS Bangkok.
The ceremony saw newly appointed West Virginia Delegate Shane Stack, R-Ohio, and Belmont County commissioner Vince Gianangeli speak, honoring all of the people who are and have served the country.
Following the ceremony a free luncheon was provided for all veterans located in the festival’s Little Italy tent.