Hofstra University celebrated “Italy’s culture and culinary influence on America” by hosting its 27th Annual Italian Festival on the south campus on Sunday, Sept. 15. The Italian Experience Festival, emceed by host of “Sabato Italiano” on WRHU-FM and President of the Association of Italian American Educators Cavaliere, Josephine Maietta, is a popular tradition that features an itinerary full of crafts, live entertainment, children’s activities and food.

“It is kind of rare to find an event like this [on Long Island], and the fact that Hofstra hosts [an Italian Festival] is awesome,” said junior bioengineering major Francesca Filiberti, the president of the Hofstra Cultural Italian-American Organization (CIAO). “I am really happy that [CIAO] gets to be part of it and that we get to meet other Italians, or people who are just interested in the culture.”