All Things Italian Festival

Fairfield Square Turns Italian for Art Walk on June 6, 2008

by Donna Schill

Madonnari artists will create whimsical chalk paintings on the streets around the Fairfield square during the All Things Italian Art Walk.

Dick DeAngelis’s big, warm Italian smile enveloped me from across his desk, just as it had mesmerized the crowd at the closing of the first “All Things Italian” Art Walk three years ago. That was the most successful art walk in Fairfield’s history, and no wonder—Italian culture is as irresistible as Dick’s smile. The president of SOFIA, the Society of Fairfield Italian Americans, DeAngelis has worked tirelessly to make these art walks a real Italian experience. As he gazed at the crowd in Fairfield’s square during the closing ceremonies of that memorable event, he felt that a new tradition had sprung to life. “These are the moments that define a town,” he told me, with a deeply satisfied smile.

SOFIA chose the perfect time of year to join forces with 1st Fridays Art Walk. Early June is a time when people want to relax from the heat of the day and enjoy a cold, creamy pistachio gelato or listen to music in the most beautiful language of all, Italian.

Italy is so well-known for its beauty and culture, it’s no wonder that Italian-Americans feel nostalgic for their homeland. SOFIA started out with 50 families getting together to celebrate their rich culture and heritage. The only problem: they were a pretty exclusive bunch. To get invited you had to be from a family that was at least half-Italian.

We all know what it feels like not being invited to a party—that sinking feeling of being left out dates all the way back to grade school. As people began to voice their desire to be let in on the fun, SOFIA saw an opportunity. “It was a chance for us to share the love of life that Italians have,” DeAngelis said.

He offered me some coffee as we sat casually chatting in his office. At his computer screen, we scrolled through pictures of last year’s event, many with his children playing bocce ball or Morra—a hand game that sounded like the Italian version of rock-paper-scissors. “My grandfather was unbelievable,” DeAngelis said as he demonstrated the hand gestures, laughing at my poor form. “He used to lean in real close and stare you in the face. Then, without even thinking about it, he would utter the number in a deep, husky Italian. He had you figured out.”

I was beginning to see how ingrained these traditions were, and the hard work that went into planning an event on this scale. Four thousand people attended the festival in 2007, and this year, with advertising reaching as far as Des Moines and the Quad Cities, they’re anticipating a swarming crowd of at least 5,000.

SOFIA has been working since last October to get ready. Their members man all the booths, which include games for all ages, educational displays, and a very popular stand of desserts made from Italian family recipes. Perhaps what is most special about this art walk is that it’s an all-town event. When I asked DeAngelis how he got so much support, he simply said, “We treat people like family.”

Due to the smashing success of the cannoli, an Italian pastry, in past years, SOFIA has created Team Cannoli—a highly efficient assembly line producing the beautiful Sicilian delicacy, a cone-shaped pastry shell with a sweet ricotta filling. SOFIA members buy special cannoli shells from Chicago and stuff them with their own ricotta filling. Says MUM student Kirsi Marcus, who has attended the festival the past two years, “I don’t have an Italian bone in my body, but nobody is keeping me away from those cannoli.”

If you want to know how fresh Italian ricotta tastes hot and melted, then keep on the lookout for Team Lasagna, which will be joining the ranks this year.

Local restaurants lining the square will adjust their menus to offer an assortment of Italian fare. Vendors selling Italian ice and gelato—a rich, thick Italian ice cream that comes in pistachio, strawberry, espresso, and chocolate-hazelnut flavors—will have people lined up around the block just to get a taste.

DeAngelis assured me that there will be attractions for all ages. Michael Sheppard, a world champion pizza tosser, is known to juggle pizza dough while performing mock break-dance moves—with dough orbiting his body in a figure-eight motion. At the conclusion of his show, there will be pizza-tossing competitions and lessons.

If the performers at the festival are not Italian themselves, then you can be sure that they specialize in the Italian arts. “For the night I am Italian,” says opera tenor Quiliano Anderson. Quiliano was born in the Philippines, moved to the U.S. to pursue his career in music, and now studies at the University of Iowa.
Madonnari artists from throughout the Midwest will be making their way to Fairfield, joining forces to beautify the streets around the square. Madonnari art is a style of drawing developed from religious street artists who used chalks and paints to fashion pavement portraits of the Madonna.

Expect to see men in brown velvet britches and vests, and ladies with feminine peasant blouses and red satiny skirts, as the Italian dance troop Trattenimento Italiano of Des Moines presents a taste of old-school Italian dancing. Each folk dance tells a traditional tale, augmented with costumes that represent different regions of Italy. The dancers were so excited about participating last year that they drove three hours to Fairfield after their high school graduation ceremony, gave a fabulous performance, and drove back in time to make it to their class party. “It is enthusiasm like this that makes the festival so remarkable,” said DeAngelis.

The town has gathered its forces in all areas to make this night happen. SOFIA has been working closely with the Police Department to ensure the event’s safety. “We get together, go over the plan, brainstorm, and bounce ideas off each other,” said Police Chief Randy Cooksey. “We think this festival is a great way to support the Italian heritage.”

Everybody’s Whole Foods sent SOFIA into the aisles to find the ingredients they needed, providing food as a donation to show their support. They also opened their kitchen doors so Team Cannoli would have ample work space.

Hy-Vee joined in last year to provide Italian pepper and sausage sandwiches. DeAngelis met with kitchen manager Dillon Murray and his staff to come up with the most authentic Italian roll. “Anything we needed, they were happy to help us with,” said Murray of SOFIA’s help. The store is also putting fliers in every grocery bag to promote the event. “We want to get the word out on the streets!” Murry said.

“When you have a desire that is pure, and you want to do something really good, you simply get that support,” DeAngelis said, happily gazing at his online photo album. He flipped to an aerial shot of white and red stands scattered along the brilliantly green lawn of the square—Italian flags flying high. He looked up at me with a smile, “At least that’s been my experience.”

Visit the Index for more articles about Fairfield, Iowa.

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites