The 28th Annual Columbus Day Festival is taking place on Federal Hill in Providence this weekend. Saturday through Monday, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., more than 50 vendors have set up shop outside of businesses along Atwells Avenue. “The real purpose of the festival starting was honestly to do a marketing piece for Federal Hill and the whole goal was...

Members of the public are invited to a reception celebrating visitors from one of Newport's six sister cities. On Friday, Mayor Jamie Bova and the City Council will host a reception for the delegation from Imperia, Italy. The reception will be held from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Edward King House. Light refreshments will be served, and all attendees...

Actor Scott Aiello knew he had big shoes to fill when he took on the role of Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci in “The Prince of Providence.” Trinity Repertory Company’s production, based on the book by journalist Mike Stanton, has been a hit with audiences and critics since opening last month. The play depicts Cianci’s long reign as the Mayor of Rhode...

Providence College celebrated the feast of San Gennaro, or Saint Januarius, the Patron Saint of Naples, outside of St. Dominic Chapel on Wednesday, September 18. The event itself honored both Itaian heritage and Catholic tradition.  Little Italy’s Feast of San Gennaro in New York City celebrates the patron saint of Naples with an 11-day festival in...

Chef Luciano Canova has raised the bar for fine Italian dining in Rhode Island, taking his high standards and homemade Italian recipes to Johnston. I told two friends who had eaten at Trattoria Romana in Lincoln and they both described the restaurant as “authentic.” They moment you walk through the door, you know that you are in a special place, a...

If you wanted doughboys, a meatball sandwich or apple crisp, the annual four-day Our Lady of Grace Italian Feast and Festival was the place to be last weekend. Festival Field in Johnston played host to a smorgasbord of food offerings, carnival rides and games during an event with roots that go back roughly a century. “As often was the case where It...

There were several mighty milestones celebrated Sunday inside Our Lady of Grace Church in Johnston. First and foremost, the Pannese Society – which dates back to 1909 and was founded on Providence’s Federal Hill by an Italian immigrant named Giuseppe Anzevino – held its annual Mass and Breakfast Buffet in honor of La Madonna del Bosco, the patrones...

After more than six months of renovations and hard work, Fazzini’s, a new Italian restaurant in the former Brick House space on Diamond Hill Road, is now officially open to customers. Owners Bethany and Eric Marsland, who also own Champ’s Diner on Front Street, welcomed friends and family during a ribbon cutting celebration on Tuesday night that al...

There was something for everyone at the annual Saint Rocco’s Church Feast and Festival, a timeless tradition that completed its seven-day stay Sunday in Johnston. For Anna DeRobbio, 88, of Cranston, it was an opportunity to break bread with her friend Etta Branca, 90, and enjoy a sandwich featuring a freshly made roll from The Original Italian Bake...

Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea joins us with more on the newest exhibit at the State Archives in 337 Westminster St, Providence, RI 02903. It’s called Andiamo! Italians Make Their Mark in Rhode Island. “Rhode Island has the highest population of Italian Americans per capita in the entire country! We just beat out Connecticut and New Jersey, accor...