Once again, Italian Day will fly its green, white and red colours proudly, this year in a village style setting in Grandview Park and surrounding side streets, featuring food vendors & trucks, live music, fashion, activities and more.

Join us at noon as we open the event with welcome speeches, the Canadian and Italian national anthems (Opera singer), as well as other acknowledgments before launching the live music at 12:30pm.

Live Music & DJ · 12:30 – 8:30pm

• Main Stage (Charles Street) – Italian / English – Pop/Rock, RnB, Opera, Latin, Folk
• Piazza Italia (Williams Street – West – Cul-de-Sac) – mini-stage w/ live music & DJ Storm
• Pasta Eating Contest Stage (Amphitheatre platform in Park) – DJ Storm

Other Event Highlights

• JAC by Jacqueline Conoir Fashion Show (Main Stage – 8:30pm)
• IL GIARDINO Authentic Table – wine, beer and small bite samplings
*attraction found in Sport Court in centre of Park
• Pasta eating contests (amphitheatre platform)
• APE Canada – showcasing electric bikes and Vespa carts
• Children’s Carnival games + Park Playground
• vendors, food trucks + more

Food & Drink Highlights – Mangiamo!

Food Trucks / Carts

Via Tevere – woodfire sandwiches
Cannolli King – cannoli, sfogliatelli, bomboloncini
Nonna’s Cucina – pizza & panini
Mr Arancino – arancini balls
Bella Gelateria – gelato
Focacciaza – freshly baked focaccia bread with various toppings
Slavic Rolls – pastry rolls with Tiramisu cream, and other fillings
La Mezcaleria (tent) – Tacos

IL GIARDINO Authentic Table – Italian wine & beer tastings, small-bite food/product samplings

MASI (Italian wines)
Il Centro Italian Culture Centre – Italian sausage in a bun
Luppolo – beer
Stile Brands (Italian Wines)
Italian Chamber of Commerce – small bites w/ Bottega di Mangia and GIA

Note: Entry into Il Giardino will be based on a coupon system, which works like a passport to various stations within Il Giardino. Each station will have a value of coupons required for respective tastings. Coupons can be purchased at the entrance of Il Giardino.

Mangia Bene, Ridi Spesso, Ama Molto
Eat well, Laugh often, Love in Abundance

Live Music & Programming Schedules

This year our live music will start earlier to give as many artists opportunity to share the music. Please find below the festival’s programming schedules for: live music, DJ, Fashion Show and Pasta Eating Contests.

Below is a map of Italian Day 2022 activation area, which includes surrounding street closures as extensions of event grounds: Grandview Park, Charles Street (Commercial Dr to Cotton), Cotton to Williams St (west cul-de-sac), and Williams to Commercial Drive (east cul-de-sac).

All stages, attractions and vendor/exhibitor locations are also indicated on the map. Please also find below all the participants and respective locations.

NOTE: Commercial Drive will NOT be closed to traffic. Merchants on the Drive will operate as usual.

The added beauty to this year’s festival is that one can wonder off onto Commercial Drive and visit your favourite patio, restaurant or merchant, and then come back for more Italian Day in Grandview Park, and of course, amore!!

Other on-site participants

Products / Services / Retail

APE Canada – Italian Electric bikes + Vespa Carts
Salento Bici – Bike Tour in Puglia, Italy
Top Imports / Les Jardins de Jacqueline – euro table clothes, hand made soaps
Paranada – Italian hats & accessories
Ollie Quinn – eyewear
Milani Plumbing – plumbing, heating & air conditioning services

Crafts

Britannia Community Centre – bracelet making (craft)
Ukrainian Blue Yellow Art – selling hand made art to raise funds for Ukraine

Children’s area

Jelks – children’s carnival games
Gary’s Kettle Corn – popcorn
Lemon Heaven – fresh lemonade
Rico n Lalo Popsicles – latin popsicle
Park Playground

We missed you for two years…

And during that time we made efforts to continue to reach out to all communities, uplifting spirits with positive and reflective messages using music in creative ways. We felt it important to document what we did, not only due to the challenging periods we all faced during the pandemic, but also because these messages have infinite meaning, and apply today and always as the world continues to manoeuvre through conflict and challenges: love, courage, unity, compassion, liberty.

Can’t wait to share the music, and ‘Italian Day feel good experience’ again with you all on Sunday, August 28th in Grandview Park!

A presto amici!