PHILADELPHIA, May 20, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Explore and celebrate the unique and exciting culture of Italy during La Festa Della Repubblica, the Italian National Day Festival at Penn's Landing, June 6 from 12 p.m. until 6 p.m. This free event kicks off the PECO Energy Multicultural Series at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, located at Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street. The celebration features a wide variety of Italian cultural performances, products and cuisine.
The national Holiday of the Republic of Italy, La Festa Della Repubblica Italiana, is celebrated annually at Penn's Landing on the first Sunday in June. The event has become tradition in Philadelphia. La Festa, also known as Italian National Day commemorates the establishment of a republican democracy in Italy of June 2, 1948. The event stands to celebrate and promote Italian culture. The Italian National Day celebration is organized by the Alliance of Italian American Associations and is attended by many prominent city and state officials.
A variety of Italian Clubs from the Greater Philadelphia area will participate in this year's event with displays and informational booths. The Filitalia Club from New Jersey, the Abruzzese Club of Ardmore, the Lancaster Italian Cultural Society, the Amici Della Lingua Club of Cherry Hill, and the Venetian Club of Chestnut Hill, will all be on-site as part of the celebration.
The stage at the Great Plaza during La Festa will present a variety of Italian themed performances. The Munier Mandolin and Guitar Society will take the stage first to begin the afternoon of entertainment, followed by singer Fulvio and a local dance troop performance. Then Nathanael and the Greenwich Village Band will take the stage.
Il Coro Abruzese, a chorus dressed in authentic costumes from the Abruzzi region of Italy will perform traditional folk songs. Italian opera songs will be presented by Cristina Vuono. A fashion show will feature clothes from the United Colors of Bennetton and local Italian American models, and Italian Rock Band, Anthea will finish the day with their wide selection of Italian music favorites.
There will be fun activities and interesting displays throughout the festival including a demonstration by the Norristown Bocce League and Italian vehicles like Vespas and Ferraris on display. Wine Ambassador Lynn Hoffman will lead Italian wine sampling with imported Italian wines from West Park Imports. The Italian Greyhound Rescue will distribute information and will have their animals on site. There will be fun activities for the kids also, including face painting, marionette shows, and a moon bounce. WPHT 1210 AM, the official media partner for La Festa, will be on site with their prize wheel from 12-2pm.
The Festival marketplace will feature Italian vendors and specialty Italian products. L'Erbolario, a local boutique from King of Prussia, will display and sell their all natural Italian cosmetics. Halos from Heaven will sell decorative hair wreaths and wands. Bella Vita Ceramica will feature fine Italian ceramics, while Calabria Imports will have Italian music, videos and other products available for sale.
It wouldn't be an Italian Festival without a variety of Italian Food specialties and vendors. Famiglia di Amichi will have Porchetta and Sausage sandwiches to tempt your tastebuds. La Veranda will feature Italian favorites Penne a la vodka, Rigatoni Amatricana, Chicken Parmesan, and Proscuitto with melon. Dietz and Watson, a season-long sponsor at Penn's Landing, will feature a variety of specialty sausages. Coffee and speciality desserts from Roselena's Coffee Bar will also be available.
Admission is free for all PECO Energy Multicultural Series events. PECO Energy presents a series of free Multicultural festivals throughout the summer season at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing. Other sponsors include: US Airways, Commerce Bank, Pennsylvania Lottery, Dietz and Watson, Anheuser-Busch. WPHT 1210 AM is the official media partner.
Supporting the region's diverse communities has been a longstanding goal for PECO, who has sponsored the multicultural festivals at Penn's Landing for the past ten years. "All of us at PECO Energy are thrilled to return again to the waterfront to support the multicultural festivals," said PECO president Denis O'Brien. "Penn's Landing is a Philadelphia summertime tradition and the PECO Energy Multicultural Series is a fun way for us to celebrate the wide range of diversity represented in our service territory."
PECO Energy is proud to be Philadelphia's hometown energy company and one of the region's most prominent civic supporters. PECO is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and celebrating diversity inside and outside the Company.
Based in Philadelphia, PECO Energy is an electric and natural gas utility subsidiary of Exelon Corporation (NYSE:EXC). PECO serves 1.5 million electric and 456,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania. In 2003, its sales exceeded 36,753 gigawatt hours (gWh) of electricity and 88.2 billion cubic feet of natural gas to residential, business and institutional customers. PECO's energy delivery services generated $4.38 billion in revenue for Exelon. PECO is one of the largest employers and most active corporate citizens in the Greater Philadelphia Region.
Penn's Landing is in Philadelphia's Waterfront district, running along Columbus Boulevard from Washington Avenue to Spring Garden Street. The two main sites for the more than 75 festivals, concerts, and events at Penn's Landing are the Great Plaza, located along the Delaware River at Columbus Boulevard and Chestnut Street, and Festival Pier, on Columbus Boulevard and Spring Garden Street. For more information on event locations and event details, call (215) 922-2FUN or visit www.pennslandingcorp.com. Independence Blue Cross is the presenting sponsor of the 2004 Summer Season at Penn's Landing.
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