Italian Festival Entertainment and Cultural Activities

2026 Entertainment Schedule

The Italian Festival features a variety of traditional Italian and contemporary music!

Venue/Date Sun; 6/7 Mon; 6/8 Tues; 6/8 Wed; 6/10 Thurs; 6/11 Fri; 6/12 Sat; 6/13
Bellini Bar Singing DJs Primavera Lorenzo Scotto Frank & Michelle Monaldi Family Band Tom Pizzi Show  Singing DJs
9th St. Cafe Legacy Party Wave FM Band Slippery FM Band Josh Christiana The Mardels
The Antonian Groove Heart Tom Pizzi Show Cheers Band David Christopher Band The Business Party Wave Legacy

Download the schedule here.

Italian Cultural Activities

Opera Delaware Returns to Present a Selection of Italian Arias!

We are pleased to welcome Opera Delaware back to the Festival on Wednesday, 6/10, with a “Pop-Up” concerts in front of the church and in the La Piazza area from 6:00-8:30PM.  Click here for more info and check back soon for additional information!

 

Italian Dancers

Brandywine Center for Dance presents a dance tribute to our Favorite Italian Artists: “Italian Music Moves the Soul!”  Monday, 6/8, at 6:30PM, on the Cafe Antonian stage.  We are pleased to welcome the Center back to join us again this year!  

 

Cultural Activities Tent

A number of activities will be held at the Cultural Activities Tent next to the church in the La Piazza area!  These include:

    • 2026 Home Winemakers Competition: The Home Winemakers Competition returns on Saturday, 6/13 (final day of the Festival).  Registration/bottle drop off from 1-2:3oPM, with competition beginning at 3PM, at the tent on the side of the church in the La Piazza area.  Featuring categories for white wine, red wine, and cordials, all are welcome to participate.  Click here for the entry form!

 

Congratulations to the 2026 Competition Champions!

The results of the 14th Annual Homemade Wine Competition appear  below.  Wines submitted included 11 whites, 20 reds, 11 Italian Fruit Liqueur (Cello’s), 9 cordials.  A total of 51 bottles were entered, a record number of entries!  Thank you to 4 outstanding judges this year and 7 booth helpers to keep everything running seamlessly.  NOTE: There was a 2-way tie scoring in the red category, challenging a tiebreaker.
The placed winners are as follows for each category:
Category:  WHITE
1st place:  Joseph Pedicone (2022 Peach/Apricot Chardonnay) scored pts:  65
2nd place:  Joseph Pedicone (2025 Chardonnay) scored pts:  60
3rd place:  Joseph Pedicone (2025 Sauvignon Blanc) scored pts:  59
Category:  RED
1st place:  Joseph Staffieri (2024 Vino Della Casa Staffieri – Cab Sav) scored pts:  60
2nd place:  Joseph Pedicone (2023 Bourbon Zinfandel/Cabernet) scored pts:  58
3rd place *:  Clark Donnelly (2026 Berry) scored pts: 57
* The tiebreaker for 3rd place was for both of Clark Donnelly’s reds:  2026 Berry / 2021 Super Tuscan*
Category:  CELLO’S (Italian Fruit Liqueur)
1st place:  Christina Baczkowski (2025 Christina’s Own) scored pts:  58
2nd place:  Christina Baczkowski (2026 Christina’s Own) scored pts:  54
Category:  CORDIAL
1st place:  Gustino DiTomo (2026 Peanut Butter) scored pts:  60
2nd place:  Diane Stephens (2026 Salted Caramel Baileys) scored pts:  59
14th Annual Homemade Wine Competition – The Robert Torres Award – Best of Show
Winner:  Joseph Pedicone (1st, 2nd and 3rd place – white / 2nd place – red – Total scored pts: 242)
The Italian Festival team express sincere gratitude to Jeanie & Tony Giliberto, who have organized the Homemade Wine Competition for 14 years!  We thank you for all you have done through the years to make this a signature of Festival fun!

Other Cultural Event and Activities:

    • Sister Cities of Wilmington, DE: Visit with representatives of Sister Cities of Wilmington to learn more about Wilmington’s Italian Sister City Olevano Sul Tusciano, celebrating more than 20 years of global partnership!  Sister Cities representatives will be on-site on Tuesday, 6/9, and Wednesday, 6/10.
    •  Mattinata Musicale (radio programs) & The Italian-American Herald (newspaper): Learn more about the region’s Italian-American media outlets, dedicated to celebrating and informing the region of the richness of Italian-American culture in the Delaware Valley and beyond, will be on-site on Thursday, 6/11.

 

St. Anthony’s Feast Day Mass & Festa Patronale Procession

NEW for 2026: The St. Anthony of Padua Feast Day Mass (12:30PM) and Procession of Saints (2:00PM), which commemorate our Festa Patronale, marking our devotion to the parish’s patron, St. Anthony of Padua, will now take place on the opening Sunday, 6/7!

 

On Sunday, 6/7, at 12:30PM, join us for traditional Mass honoring out patron saint, St. Anthony of Padua, as well as the Festa Patronale, the procession of the saints, on Sunday, 6/7, at 2:00PM.  The procession brings together families and Italian cultural societies with a devotion to particular saints from various regions of Italy.  Be sure to experience this treasured traditional expression of the participants’ Catholic faith and cultural pride.

 

Procession Route:

Statues/floats are assembled on N. Scott St. between W. 9th and W. 10th St./along W. 9th St. between N. Scott St. and N. DuPont St./up to church

[left] North on N. DuPont St. to W. 11th St.

[right] East on W. 11th St. to N. Clayton St.

[right] South on N. Clayton St. to W. 8th St.

[right] West on W. 8th St. to N. Scott St.

[left] South on N. Scott St. to W. 5th St.

[right] West on W. 5th St. to N. Lincoln St.

[right] For all statues/floats except St. Anthony of Padua: North on N. Lincoln St. to W. 10th St. [END]

 

[right] For St. Anthony of Padua statue/float: East on W. 9th S. to N. DuPont St. to front of church [END]

 

(St. Anthony float displayed in front of church following conclusion of procession)

 

 

Italian Festival proceeds benefit: 
St. Anthony of Padua Grade School

The Italian Festival is sponsored by: 
 St. Anthony of Padua Parish