festival continues to grow every year in vendors, attendance, special features and events.
While last year’s Trevi Fountain replica was a big hit, this year we are featuring a working replica of Mt. Vesuvius complete with hourly eruptions and the Bay of Naples as a backdrop.  All of the festival favorites are back including: the best local entertainment, bocce tournament, Miss Italian Festival, Italian Idol Contest, cooking demonstrations, essay contest for scholarships, computers for genealogical research, Italian bilingual Mass, religious processions, amusements and crafts for kids all offer something for everyone’s enjoyment.

After the tragic earthquake of April 6th in our beloved Italy (L’Aquila-Abruzzo) the Sorrento Cheese Italian Heritage Festival is donating a percentage of its proceeds from the 2009 festival to the Italian Earthquake Relief Fund set up through the office of our Vice Counsel for Italy to Western New York.

I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank all of our patrons, sponsors and the Board of volunteers for their tireless commitment in making this the second largest Italian street festival in the country.