Italian heritage is not a requirement, but an appetite for all things Italian — the food, the music, the wine — is important if you are planning to attend the 14th annual Festa Italiana di Vandergrift. The popular event, held to celebrate the community's Italian-American heritage and expand the historical understanding of Italian immigration to the U.S. in the early 1900s, is planned on Aug. 13 in Kennedy Park.

The Fest Committee also works to allocate net proceeds from Festa events to a scholarship for college students of Italian descent in the Vandergrift area. The committee awards a one-time $2,000 scholarship, and to date has awarded $58,000 in scholarships to 29 area high school seniors.