Food has been an important part of the Italian American household, and it forever connects those immigrants to Merced County, according to the designers of a new museum exhibit in Merced. The exhibit, “Grazie, America! From Italy to Merced County,” opens at 5 p.m. Thursday at the Merced County Courthouse Museum, on N and 21st streets. A wine toast is set for 6 p.m. It’s free.

Focusing on the lives of the immigrants and their American-born children from 1855 to 1965, this exhibit drew on the photo libraries of 104 families, according to Sarah Lim, the museum’s executive director.