The De Cecco Little Italy Festival of Rochester, NY!

Voted a "Best Cultural Festival of Rochester" for 2017 & 2018 by the readers of City  Newspaper.  The festival has regularly received proclamations and strong support each year from town, city, county, state and federal-level officials. It is an inclusive "neighborhood celebration"  -- NOT ONLY AN ITALIAN FEST! -- Our event helps bring more diversity to the area, creates a multi-cultural atmosphere and adds economic opportunities to the Rochester, NY area. It is Rochester's biggest and most popular Italian Festival, and its most inclusive Neighborhood Celebration!

 Year  after the year, the festival is proud to bring top-notch headline  entertainment to Rochester. Headliners have included national artists like Lou Gramm (the voice of legendary rock band Foreigner), the Scintas  (Las Vegas' "first family of entertainment"), Sal Valentinetti (from the hit TV show "America's Got Talent"), Vanessa Racci, Louis Prima Jr. & the Witnesses,  Tre Bella, Giada Valenti, and many more... 

Since its inception, the festival has raised thousands of dollars to benefit the needy served by various  local charities, such as Alternatives for Battered Women, Willow, House of  Mercy, Open Door Mission, Catholic Charities, Catholic Family Center of Rochester, MDA, Charles Settlement House and the Ronald McDonald House.

The festival is regularly attended by thousands of  people each year, with  a very wide demographic reach for our sponsors, ranging from teenagers to 65+ year old individuals, and  our event offers sponsors a very attractive marketing opportunity, and an incredible  return on investment. The event draws both local area sponsors and international big-name corporations each year. Click on the crowd image  above, to be brought to the Little Italy Association's Facebook page, to see many more images and videos of the festival or see the videos below. 2024 will be the Little Italy Festival's 8th anniversary and it promises to be a lot of fun, with excellent entertainment!

Our inclusive festival has presented a wide variety of multi-cultural foods and family-oriented activities over the years,  for both children and adults, representing the rich diversity and inclusiveness of Rochester's Historic Little Italy Neighborhood.  In past years (each year varies), the event has included activities like bounce houses for kids, kids playground, bocce, wine-tastings, cooking  demonstrations, and even a very fun spaghetti eating contest each year, and it  offers attendees much more than an ordinary Italian Festival -- making the Little  Italy Fest one of Rochester's most popular and most inclusive "neighborhood  celebrations!" Note: each year activities and entertainment offered may differ. 

The festival acts as a vital part of the exciting effort to commemorate and  revitalize Rochester's 150 year-old Little Italy Historic District and the Lyell Avenue/Jay Street Corridors.  By helping bring people and neighborhood activity to Downtown Rochester, the festival plays an important part in the overall effort to change the "perception" of the Lyell Ave area, and helps make it safe,  attractive and welcoming to all cultures once again; and it serves as a catalyst to our efforts to bring change, and transform the area into a modern, sustainable 21st Century urban neighborhood and Community Benefit District.