Troy L. Milliron 
Manchester is in for a treat this summer with the return of the UK’s biggest Italian food festival.
Described as “the country’s most exciting and dynamic festival of Italian food, drink and culture”, Festa Italiana is a unique celebration of all things Italian and will once again grace the gardens of the Cathedral of Manchester for the August bank holiday weekend.
The festival started five years ago thanks to family-owned Italian restaurant group Salvi’s and has quickly grown in popularity, with more than 38,000 visitors at last year’s event alone.
And this year, a number of the festival’s most popular faces will be back alongside some exciting new additions.
The famous workshops and demonstrations of the festival will take place once again, alongside some of the best Italian dishes offered by the famous Italian chefs Giancarlo Caldesi (Return to Tuscany, Saturday cooking, Sunday brunch)celebrity chef and award-winning restaurateur Aldo Zilli (The One Show, This Morning, Celebrity Masterchef), Great British Bake Off 2021 winner Giuseppe Dell’Anno and, of course, Festa founder Maurizio Cecco.
Pasta specialist Carmela Sereno Hayes will also join the lineup, where she will host her famous pasta-making workshops throughout the weekend.
And as in previous years, some of Manchester’s most famous Italian traders will be offering their own dishes of Italian cuisine,
On the drinks side, some of Italy’s most popular drink brands will be on hand to help customers wash down their pizzas and pastas, including Gin Mare, Luxardo and Poretti.
And new to Festa this year will be an exhibition of Italian art, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks.
Along with a lineup of live musicians and entertainment throughout the weekend, there will also be activities to keep the kids entertained while their parents tuck into pasta, pizza and Aperol… so the families need not worry.
Festa Italiana will take place in Manchester Cathedral Gardens throughout the late Bank Holiday weekend from August 26-28, and will be completely free to enter.
More details will be announced in the coming weeks – visit the Festa Italiana website to stay informed about news and updates.
