For the 15th year, Ulster County can experience the delicious taste of Italian culture at the Ulster Italian Festival on Sunday, October 9 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Kingston.
Presented by the City of Kingston and the Ulster County Italian American Foundation, this annual Festival brings food vendors, street performers, live music and Italian culture to the Rondout waterfront. Festival chair Anthony Tampone said, “Italian foods and culture are a favorite with people all over the region, and every year people look forward to the Italian Festival in Kingston to eat, drink and dance like an Italian!”
A plethora of food vendors will provide an authentic array of cuisines to enjoy. There will also be Italian wines, street performers, singers, craft vendors, a spaghetti-eating contest at 2 p.m. and the presentation of the 2022 Signor and Signora of the year! In addition, there will be photo opportunities with a Leaning Tower of Pisa, Mona Lisa and David, among others. There will also be a children’s’ craft tent, and the new Cultural Center located in the Maritime Barn will feature items and stories of historical interest, Italian language expert and author Gabrielle Euvino and a video depicting the vast beauty of Italy.
Live music will be performed on two stages. The main stage in T. R. Gallo Park will feature the Jenna Esposito Band, opera singing with Vince and Emily Ricciardi, Vito & 4 Guys featuring Michael Dell, world-renowned accordionist Cory Pesaturo and headliner jazz great Louis Prima, Jr. and the Witnesses. A new second stage on East Strand, managed by the O+ Festival, will feature the Pete Santora Beatles Tribute, pop and rock tunes by Chaz Kiss, Italian and Spanish performances by Magic Sandwich, Flamenco music by Mario Rincon and Morgan O’Kane with Appalachian folk music.
Admission is free, and free shuttle buses will be available to the event from Kingston Point, the Kingston Plaza and the Cornell Street municipal parking lot in Kingston. More details are available online at UCIAF.org.
Join the family! 
