by Geoffrey Wilson

For attendees grabbing a bite at Festa Italiana, everything from the pizza to the cannolis should feel welcoming. "It's like eating at your grandma's house," said Ernie Bruno, Italian Center president. Italian foods from pasta to zeppole were the highlight at Festa Italiana in the City of Poughkeepsie Saturday.

About 2,500 people attended the first three days of the four-day festival, organized by the center, as of Saturday afternoon, Bruno said. At night, when the festival draws the most attendees, the lines for the various food vendors were "elbow-to-elbow," said Linda Aiello, a volunteer for the festival. But despite some of the usual suspects like fried dough, Bruno said the Italian Center prides itself in selling quality chow for anyone stopping through. "This is more like homemade food that what you'd find at the fair," Bruno said.

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Source: http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/