Viva Italia

This weekend is the Italian Festa, a yearly celebration of the Italian culture and heritage in Baton Rouge. Put on by the Greater Baton Rouge American Italian Association, the Festa is a day of music, cultural education and, most importantly, food. The Festa will have tons of Italian dishes on hand, and vendor booths featuring everything from Italian folk art to Fresina pasta. Learn Italian at Dr. Joe Ricapito’s crash-course in the language (the better to pronounce menu items with!) and munch on cannolis made by chef Mark Maggio. Then, if you’re not too stuffed, join hands and join in the city’s largest Tarantella dance. There’s also a celebrity pizza-eating contest and grape stomp. It all takes place downtown at the Sheraton Atrium on Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.