Is it possible to down seven Ferrara cannoli in just a few minutes? Indeed it is for Carlo Giambotto of Rossville who consumed just that at the Mount Loretto Italian Festival on Friday, Oct. 7. But the competitive eating contest was just a fraction of sights at the annual Pleasant Plains three-day festa.

Food trucks, a beer and sangria garden and Italian music captured the attention of a few thousand revelers on the festival’s inaugural day. Vinny Medugno and Angelo Venuto were among the musical acts that enthralled crowds. And it was a feast of the senses as well. On this crisp fall night, the perfume of pizza from Bella Napoli Brick Oven Pizza mingled with zest of freshly pressed lemons and fried dough from Rosalia And Ashley Zeppoles.