The Sicilian Festival, the first festival to be held in San Diego's iconic Little Italy neighborhood, has announced that it will become part of the annual Little Italy Festa beginning October 11, 2015.

For 21 years, the beloved Sicilian Festival was the labor of love for a small group of volunteers whose goal was to preserve the heritage and culture of the Sicilian community which had its roots in the neighborhood since the 1920s.

"It is with a truly sad heart that we have to announce that the Sicilian Festival will no longer grace the streets of Little Italy each May, as it has done for the past 21 years," said Bernadette Tarantino, Executive Director of the event.
"Rising production costs as well as the lack of a volunteer base made it impossible for us to continue this heart-felt salute to our Sicilian heritage," she added.

The Sicilian Festival volunteer committee will be working closely with the Little Italy Association to determine the details of the merger.

For more information, please contact: Bernadette Tarantino: 619.733.0483