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 A Taste of Italy in Old Forge

By: Madison Volack

     
After finding a parking spot on the compact roads of Old Forge, PA, classic tunes such as "That's Amore" and Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York," cleverly renditioned to "Old Forge, Old Forge" ring throughout the small town, creating the perfect background for the festivities. As you enter the small parking lot, the mouthwatering scent of garlic, oregano, and Italian pastries immediately infiltrates your nose, alongside the aroma from a variety of Italian food tents and a truck with sweet melty ice cream that are scattered throughout the parking lot. The area is decorated delicately with vibrant red, white, and green decorations that pay homage to the Italian Flag (Figure 1) 

 The Felittese Italian Festival, organized by the Felittese Association, is held the first weekend in September and took place on the 6th, 7th, and 8th. "First, let's get this outta the way," Jeff Casella, Chairman of the Felittese Association, chuckled. "Its FI-LA-TASE! Not felicity!" He corrected me, showcasing his dedication to preserving the festival's authenticity and spirit. Mr. Casella, a short Italian man with a thick Italian-American accent, expressed his frustration over the mispronunciation, explaining that it's his "biggest pet peeve."

   This year, the crowd was as enthusiastic as ever flocking to the food tents eagerly. “All the food is homemade by restaurants here in Old Forge, baby. All from the town!” Mr. Casella exclaimed while pointing his fingers proudly toward the ground. "We got the best homemade Italian food in the area.” While some come for the delicious food, the festival offers much more than what meets the nose. 

   Some festival-goers danced like the Rockettes, in front of the music tent, forming a kick line to the tunes of the Smoke and Mirrors Duo. Others eagerly swarmed like bees around the raffle baskets, hoping for a chance to win. The festival buzzed with laughter and animated conversations, with hands gesticulating wildly in true Italian spirit. "On Sunday, we hold a 10AM mass where we march with Our Lady of Constantinople and hold the statute, just like they do in Fellito, our sister city." Mr. Casella added while raising his hands.  

    Mr. Casella recounted the festival's origins with nostalgia. "The festival is in honor and remembrance of our very first settlers here in Old Forge. They were families of Italian immigrants from Felitto, Italy that came here during the Great Migration from Europe. They wanted to relive their history, they missed Felitto. My great-grandmother wanted to go back to Felitto for years!" He added, with his thumbs pointed over his shoulder. "So, in the 1900s, they started a clam bake to sort of bring everyone together, but that ended in 1941-1942. They weren't doing the celebrations anymore, and everyone went their separate ways." 

    To shine a light on the revival of the Felittese festival, Mr. Casella dove into the reason it takes place within a sardine can of a parking lot. "It revived when the local Diocese sold the property, and the community came together to purchase it. We came together and formed the Felittese Association and decided to start the festival again in 1989." 

    "We had nothing when we started," Casella further noted waving his hand around the parking lot that could fit a small house. "We had people wheeling their fridges and gas stoves from their houses. It was a huge community that really came together" he reminisced while chuckling, followed quickly by, "Oh and I'm sorry for moving my hands around so much." 

     Another attendee favorite is La Pasticceria, a small tent cramped in the far right corner of the parking lot, filled with the scent of powdered sugar and almond extract. The pastry tent is run by volunteers, one of them being Vita, an older Italian lady wearing a white apron, dusted in powdered sugar, with the Italian flag pressed on the front. 

      Standing out amongst other food vendors, La Pasticceria is not an actual restaurant. "It was created for sharing a little bit of Italy with everyone who attends the festival," Vita shared in a frail voice of Italian descent. The tent is staffed by volunteers, many of whom come straight from Felitto. "We have the very best pastries and they are baked freshly before the festival," She explained proudly while waving her hand around the mountain of cookies aside her, stacked delicately for display. "I learned how to bake from my Nona. We had to make everything from scratch, none of those fancy shortcuts," she reminisced while grinning. 

  A young girl caught Vita's attention. "Would you like to come work behind the stand, young lady? We could sure use some help!" Vita remarked jokingly to the young girl looking over the counter at her cramming anisette cookies into a styrofoam container. The young girl giggled and shyly reached for her father, while he took his box of goodies from Vita's wrinkled hands. 

    The Felittese Festival stands out as a cherished tradition in the Old Forge community. From the history held behind it to the rich steamy home-made sauce and freshly baked Italian pastries, it's not surprising so many look forward to it each year. The festival remains a popular, looked forward to event. Alas after a long summer day, the best way to unwind would be with friends, family, a bowl of gnocchi and meatballs, and a delightful sweet and creamy cannoli afterward.