What's Happening in Reno, NV…

A mid-October Reno event is serving as a celebration of a culture that has many familiar and popular elements.

The Great Italian Festival is an annual event in the city. The 2024 edition marks its 42nd run. The celebration gives the community experiences full of traditions and history. Located throughout the downtown area of town, a pop-up version of “Little Italy” appears. Festivities include food such as pasta dishes, sausages, chicken parmesan, and desserts, a contest for sauce cooking, grape stomping, a themed farmer’s market, and live performances on a pair of outdoor music stages.

Guests of any age can enjoy the event. A special zone is set up for children so they can play and have fun while grownups take part in the activities around the festival. This area has a slide, face painting, and some games of cornhole.

Celebrities are invited to attend as well. One confirmed appearance comes from Buddy V, who is known for his show “Cake Boss.”

The main event has no entry fee. There is a “wine walk” which has tickets attached, but at the time of writing, these are unavailable. Flyer printing is popular among festival organizers as a promotion method. The event runs over two days, October 12th and October 13th. The times are 10:00am - 7:00pm on Saturday, and 10:00am - 6:00pm on Sunday.