La Festa Italiana will be held Labor Day weekend (Friday through Monday, August 31, September 1-3, 2018) on Courthouse Square in the heart of downtown Scranton, Pa. Hours are Friday, 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Monday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. As usual, more than 80 vendors will be offering great Italian food, and continuous live entertainment will be featured on multiple stages around the square. There is no admission charge.

Pizza Boys Spinning Into Town! A new and unique act this year is the Jersey Pizza Boys, brothers Michael and Nicholas Testa, who will display their renowned skill to toss and spin pizza dough. Since a video of Michael doing pizza dough tricks went viral in 2012, the boys have been featured nationally and globally on television shows and festivals.

Wanting to use their notoriety in the pizza industry and give back to the community, they created PIZZA X AMERICA, which took place on February 9. PIZZA X AMERICA united over 200 pizzerias nationwide to feed over 20,000 people.  This will be an annual event which they hope will continue to grow larger.

The Jersey Pizza Boys will perform on the Main Stage on Saturday, Sept. 1, at 6:30 p.m. and Sunday, Sept. 2, at 4 p.m.

Opening night, August 31, will feature one of the festival’s most popular acts: The Cameos, New Jersey's favorite oldies band, will be on the main stage at 7 p.m. The Cameos are a talented eight-piece oldies/vocal harmony group who create and perform their own unique renditions of the most popular songs of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s.

Among the many other acts that will perform are the famous Poets on Sunday night, comedian Uncle Floyd Vivino, Ray Massa’s “EuroRhythms” from Ohio, Frank Sinatra tribute (Chris DiMattio), Dean Martin Tribute (Andy DiMino from Las Vegas), a Connie Francis tribute featuring Nikki Rasmus, Los Vega New York Italian Show Band, the Italian Continentals, Gene Dempsey Orchestra, Old Friends, Flaxy Morgan, Popstar Drive, Peter Pierre Figuccio & The New Citations from New York, and Daddy-O and the Sax Maniax, plus many others including jugglers, magicians, street acts, cooking demonstrations, favorite local bands and dance groups.

The annual Mass in Italian will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 2, in the Diocese of Scranton Pastoral Center, located one block from the festival site. The Mass will also be televised live by CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton.

Fireworks will be displayed on Sunday night.

For more information and the complete entertainment schedule, visit the festival Web site at: www.lafestaitaliana.org.

La Festa Italiana will literally hit the ground running with the James R. Minicozzi Memorial 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, Sept. 1, at 10 a.m. The race is being sponsored by the Scranton Chapter of UNICO, the Italian-American service organization, and proceeds will benefit the Boys and Girls Club of Northeastern Pennsylvania Christmas Party and West Scranton High School Scholarship Program. Pre-registration for the race can be obtained at https://runsignup.com/Race/PA/Scranton/Minicozzi5k  

Festival patrons are also invited to Lackawanna Railfest ’18, hosted by the nearby Steamtown National Historic Site Sept. 2-3. Shuttle transportation will be provided between La Festa and Steamtown. For details on Railfest, visit www.nps.gov/stea.

ENTERTAINMENT
MAIN STAGE

FRIDAY Aug 31st

4:30 OPENING CEREMONIES 
5:00 Paul LaBelle and The EXACT CHANGE BAND
6:30 5 Star Dance Academy
7:00 The CAMEOS, New Jersey’s Favorite Oldies Group

SATURDAY Sept 1st 
10:00 AM James R. Minicozzi Memorial Race/Walk
Noon ITALIAN CONTINENTALS with Mike Lanza
1:30 The PARAMOUNTS
2:30 Turi Dance Studio 
3:00 OLD FRIENDS
5:30 Arts in Movement 
5:30 Ray Massa’s EURORHYTHMS, La Festa’s Premier Italian Band
6:30 Jersey PIZZA BOYS Spin & Toss Pizza Dough
7:00 The EURORHYTHMS 
9:00 POPSTAR DRIVE, Premier Dance Band

SUNDAY Sept 2nd

10 AM MASS in Italian language at Diocesan Pastoral Center
Noon LOS VEGA, New York Italian Show Band
1:00 & 2:30 AL GROUT, Juggler and Magician
1:30 LOS VEGA, New York Italian Show Band
3:00 CONNIE FRANCIS Tribute featuring Nikki Rasmus
4:00 Jersey PIZZA BOYS Spin & Toss Pizza Dough
4:30 “UNCLE FLOYD” Vivino, famous New Jersey Comedian 
5:30 BALLET THEATRE of SCRANTON
6:00 DEAN MARTIN and FRANK SINATRA Tribute
CHRIS DiMATTIO’s Frank Sinatra tribute show with 
Las Vegas’ ANDY DiMINO as Dean Martin
Featuring Kenny McGraw’s Brass & Ivory Band

8:30 The POETS, La Festa’s Own Show Band
10:00 FIREWORKS

MONDAY Sept 3rd

NOON The GENE DEMPSEY Orchestra 
1:30 FLAXY MORGAN Band
2:30 PRIMA ELITE DANCE ACADEMY
3:30 Peter Pierre Figuccio & The New Citations from New York
6:00 Daddy-O and the Sax Maniax

FIDELITY BANK STAGE and PICNIC AREA
Linden Street

SATURDAY

Noon TONY VERGNETTI
2:30 Bill and Donna Arnold
5:00 DANNY ARGO & Friends

Juggler Robert Smith

SUNDAY

1:00 DANNY ARGO & Friends
3:30 JANICE GAMBO

Presto Pete and Chris Magic & More

MONDAY

1:00 The FORTUNES
3:00 Sugar Ray Nementz
5:00 DJ DONNA Diva

Presto Pete and Chris Magic & More

WAYNE BANK STAGE
Adams Avenue at Spruce Street

FRIDAY

4:30 NOTHING YET
6:30 ROGUE CHIMP
8:00 BLUSH

SATURDAY

Noon Two for the Road
2:00 TAKE THREE with Tony Boucelli
4:00 SARAH MARIE and JOSEPH, Italian Folk Tribute
6:00 BKM 
8:00 JULIAN SPARACINO’S LIGHTS OUT

SUNDAY

NOON FUZZY PARK DUO
2:00 THE FAB THREE 
4:00 BLACK TIE STEREO, ELECTRIC CITY’S BEST
6:00 THE FROST

Damien the Magician

MONDAY

NOON THE WANABEES 
2:00 FULVIO AND SAL The Italians that do it better
4:00 EAST COAST

Damien the Magician

PLUS

Jim Cullen, Jim Waltich & Jack Bordo Strolling on the Square

Play Bocce with Danny Lovaglio 

Cannoli Eating Contest Monday at 3 PM