Maryland Italian Festival
The first Maryland Italian Festival took place from September 29 through October 1 on the grounds of the Harford County Equestrian Center in Bel Air. The inaugural three-day festival included live entertainment, amusement rides, cooking demos, 17 food vendors, and a bocce tournament.
The Food Vendors
Smoke from the Pond View Farm Grill was likely the first thing you saw if you entered Maryland Italian Festival from the VIP parking lot. The regular parking was behind the festival, with sections named after regions of Italy, like Bari and Sicily. There were 17 food vendors in total that seemed to serve most of the 23,000 attendees. Roughly half the vendors were from Harford County, while Baltimore and Wilmington were also well-represented. The food vendor tents formed an L-shape from the always crowded dining pavilion to the amusement rides.
Demand for food was high enough that DiPasquale’s Italian Market temporarily ran out of bread on Sunday. The century-old Baltimore institution had the longest lines, with the possible exception of the drink stand. But you had to look hard to find a vendor with no line. Even the county fair-type food vendors that were conveniently placed closest to the rides had lines for fried dough, corn dogs, etc. Other food vendors included Tutto Fresco, The Local by Chef Zack Trabbold, and the Wilmington-based Ristorante Atillito, which celebrated its 30th anniversary on Sunday, October 1.
Live Cooking Demos at Maryland Italian Festival
The La Cucina Galbani Cooking Stage featured daily wine seminars as well as live cooking demos from celebrity chefs like Marco Sciortino and Michele Di Pietro. The South Jersey cook and author, also known as Mangia with Michele, did a book signing following her presentation. The Local Chef Zach Trabbold of Evolved Hospitality Group demoed duck and dumplings the weekend before its menu debut. The Local had the most interesting dish of the 17 vendors. Pear Sacchetti, which is only on the catering menu, was served as a small bowl of bite-sized pasta stuffed with pear and mascarpone topped with a berry compote drizzle.
Tutto Fresco Chef Nicholas Sebokos and Zia Maria of DiPasquale’s also took the stage to showcase signature recipes.
The Rides
Food was the main attraction at Maryland Italian Festival, but there were some county fair-style rides. These were geared towards the younger crowd there with family, who are less likely to appreciate Frankie Valli covers or some of the less common Italian dishes you won’t find at the Olive Garden.
Live Entertainment at Maryland Italian Festival
Live entertainment included Sounds of Italy, The Sicilian Tenors, and The Atlantic City Boys, who played Frankie Valli songs. The music was loud enough to hear from the amusement rides at the opposite end of the main stage. Society of Italian American Businessmen Marketing Committee Chair Larry Noto played an inaugural gig with his Little Big Band on Sunday afternoon, closing with a fiery cover of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way.” Their Sunday performance was followed by the Galbani-sponsored Celebrity Cheese Stacking For Charity, where contestants stacked vacuum-packed cheese sticks, charity donations made in the names of the three top stackers. In total, the event raised $300,000.
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Have you been to Harford County? Or other parts of Maryland? Leave a comment below!
WOW!!! How fun! I can’t believe this is the first one. We have them so often in Upstate New York. Exciting how much money was raised. Sounds like a do-again event.
Hi Jen. There has been ONE in Baltimore for decades. There were people from Buffalo at the festival.
This looks like so much fun! I would love to go to an Italian festival as it’s some of my favorite type of food.
Hi Stephanie. Hoping I can go next year as well.
That looks like a ton of fun. I love festivals of all kinds, but when you throw Italian food into the mix, I’m sold!
Thanks, Ben. Hoping I can make it DOWN there next year too.
I would go here just for the food – but I’m sure I would enjoy the other activities! We Italians have the best food in the world – but I’m a bit biased.
For me…..1. Italian – 2. Thai – 3. Peruvian – 4. Georgian
This is the festival for me! I love Italian food, and I love the way Italians make you feel like family no matter who you are. I can almost picture the vibe here.
I ate too much to enjoy the rides!
I’d love to go just for the eats! This is a fun way to spend the day.
Hi Rosey. I went two of the three days and didn’t get BORED.
This looks like a lot of fun! The rides and food would keep me entertained all day…LOL
Hi Lisa. Just be sure to do the rides before you eat, lol. Have a nice holiday!
Whew! The food on display here is to simply be tried out. It’s been a while since I last went to a festival. It will be good to be a part of this one.
I try to start every visit to a new city at a local market. But festivals are a real treat!
This looks like so much fun but, I have to ask, were they stacking cheese sticks, jenga style!?
Hi Nyxie. I had to Google jenga style.
Wow, an Italian Food Festival would be so cool to go to! Yes, not likecOlive Garden!
That’s sort of a dividing line when it comes to Italian food in USA.
This is so fun and amazing! I would love to attend a festival like this.
Hi Nikki. Hope you can find something interesting close to home.
It sounds so much fun! I could spend my whole week there because of foods and rides! This is an awesome festival!
I WAS THERE the last two days and didn’t get BORED.
I had not even heard about this festival before. But the pics and your description of this festival seem like so much fun. There’s so much good food, rides, entertainment and a lot more. If I am not wrong you do have Italian genes, right?
YOU ARE correct, Archana! Have you been to Baltimore?
By looking at your pics and description this festival looks so much fun. It has everything that I love – good food, rides, entertainment and a lot more. If I am not wrong you do have Italian genes, right?
Hi Archana. YOU ARE not wrong. 75%.
Oh wow.. I would love to attend this festival. It sounds like a perfect way to try out different foods from Italy.
Hi Sonia. And it inspired me to want to visit other parts of DE-MD-NJ.
Wow, look so cool, and LOVE to attend festivals of any kind, to be honest. As long as it has fun stuff. Great one!
There’s ONE in Baltimore as well.