May 20, 2019
Courtesy of/Filitalia International
The La Festa Italian Street Festival includes a spaghetti eating contest.
La Festa Italian Street Festival on East Passyunk Avenue will return on Sunday, June 2. This year, the South Philly block party will be bigger than ever before.
Similar to celebrations in Italy for the Festa della Repubblica (Italian National Day), attendees will spend the day eating, drinking and dancing in the street.
Highlights of the all-day, all-ages event include nearly 20 food and drink vendors, live music on two stages, shopping, carnival games, Italian dancers, wine-making demos, vodka water ice and a spaghetti eating contest.
The annual contest is one of the South Philly festival's biggest draws. Thousands come out to watch the spectacle, cheering on competitors trying to eat the most spaghetti and sauce from Pastifico Homemade Pasta Co.
The contest kicks off at 3 p.m. Those interested in competing should visit the main bar, which will be located at the intersection of 13th Street and East Passyunk Avenue.
If you're not in for spaghetti, there's still plenty to eat. Stogie Joe's will have pizza, Esposito's Porchetta will have sandwiches, Mamma Maria Ristorante will have gnocchi and that's only some of the food available at the festival.
To drink, there will be craft beer, homemade wine, pineapple vodka and lots more.
La Festa is free to attend, with all food and drink pay-as-you-go. All proceeds from the street festival will benefit programs of Filitalia International, as well as the Christmas Seals program and the operation of the History of Italian Immigration Museum on East Passyunk Avenue.
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