The 14th annual Italian Heritage Festival will be celebrated 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, October 19, at Honey Horn, 70 Honey Horn Drive on Hilton Head Island.
The event is presented annually by the Italian American Club of Hilton Head Island.
Celebrating the rich, colorful, Italian culture, and cuisine, while supporting local charities and scholarships, the festival offers something to please everyone. This includes an inflatable kids’ zone, local arts and crafts vendors, a silent auction, and live entertainment by the Hilton Head Plantation Big Band and – back by popular demand, the grape-stomping and pizza-eating contests, raffles.
Food booths will line the Honey Horn pathways, with local restaurants serving up portions of their signature dishes.
A number of booths will be dedicated to traditional Italian foods, such as cheeses, breads, pasta, fish, meatballs, sausage and calzones, and delicious sweets, including Italian ice, gelato, biscotti and zeppolis – many sponsored by local restaurants. A silent auction will feature an extensive selection of gift certificates for golf foursomes at our world-famous courses, area restaurants, boat cruises, spa visits, and of course, gift baskets, and a wide range of crafts, gifts, and art works on which to bid.
“Italians are all about food and family, and that is what we are doing with this festival, while at the same time raising money for local charities,” said event chairman Paul Caimano, who expects a crowd of about 4,000-plus this year.
This year, guests can see a Legio XIII Cemina historical reenactment during the festival. The Brothers Brennan will recreate Roman drills, routines, and games at their own encampment for festival attendees.
The IACHH is a non-profit 501(c)(3) service organization, promoting Italian heritage and culture, while raising and distributing funds for local scholarships and charitable organizations in the Hilton Head Island and Bluffton communities.
Tickets are $8 general admission, and children 10 and under are admitted free of charge. Plenty of free parking is available.
Tickets are available at the gate or in advance at iachh.org/italian-heritage-festival.
In years past, this event and others sponsored by the club were publicized by a club member, the late Carmen Hawkins DeCecco (January 10, 1965-July 19, 2024). Friends and family, including her husband John DeCecco, club president, have chosen to honor her by including her own creative writing, with minor adjustments as needed, to promote this year’s event as she did for 10 years. The information above was compiled by Carmen’s dear friend, Amy Lee Caimano.