Plans are to bring the Italian Festival back to McAlester this year for its 50th anniversary celebration. "We're going to have it," said Bobby Lenardo, who is co-chairman of the Italian Festival Committee, along with Luke Whitfield. "This is our 50th anniversary," Lenardo said.

"We're planning one of our biggest festivals. We're going to have a lot of entertainment. This year's festival is set for May 13-14 at the Expo Center in McAlester. It will mark the first time the festival has been held in three years, following the festival's cancellation in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 concerns .