Annual St. Jude Church Italian Festival Opens Wednesday Night

There's no better way to end the summer season than with a visit to the St. Jude Parish Italian Festival. For 20 years, the four-day extravaganza — featuring specialty Italian cuisines from Jennie's Restaurant and Trumbull Luigi's, carnival rides and live entertainment—has drawn thousands of people from Monroe and its
surrounding towns.

This year's festival runs Wednesday and Thursday, Aug. 24 and 25 from 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday,  Aug. 26 and 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Admission and parking are free. 

“If the weather is good, we definitely get at least 10,000 coming through over the four days,” said Peter Lucia, a St. Jude Church member who has been at the helm of the Festival for 20 years. Now in its 21st year, Lucia expects to have at least as many visitors this year. "Last year we sold 3,000 ride bracelets alone,” he said.

Founded by St. Jude Church pastor, Msgr. John Sabia, along with Bob
Tranzillo, Sonny Tortoro and Dom Arribus, one of the Italian Festival's missions is to bring families together for some good fun.

“We hope to greet all of the same people who come every year as well as see many new faces,” said Sabia.

He and Lucia said that they're grateful for all of the volunteers who
share their time to host the parish event each year. “We are so blessed,” said Sabia.

 “I can't say enough about the volunteers,"Lucia agreed and noted, “The reason that so many carnivals have stopped in other towns, such as the Festival Italiano in Westport, is because they don't have the manpower. Right now we have 400 volunteers signed up to work. It's unbelievable. We are never concerned about not having enough help.”

The same group of cooks have operated the Festival's busy food tent.
“We're so thankful,” Lucia said. “We couldn't do it without everyone’s assistance.”

This year the St. Jude Italian Festival is expanding its menu to include
fried popcorn shrimp and poppers. An additional bakery case will be
set up to accommodate an increased selection of Italian pastries,
cakes and cupcakes.

“I know that we'll be serving red velvet
cupcakes, which are very popular,” Lucia said.

Traditional Italian favorites that carnival go-ers have come to expect will also be plentiful including pizza fritta, eggplant and chicken
parmigiana grinders, cavatelli and broccoli, pasta, pizza, chicken
nuggets and porketta sandwiches. 

This year, children, teens and adults will enjoy 13 exciting rides,
provided by Stewart Amusement.  A pay one-price-and-ride-all-night bracelet will be available for purchase each night for $20.

“We try to offer half of the rides for younger children and half that would attract teens and adults,” Lucia said.

Parish volunteers will also operate five trailers filled with ten different carnival games.

To add to the festivities, two live bands which have entertained at past
Monroe Italian Festivals return this year — Angie Rubino will perform on
Wednesday, Aug. 24 and Atwood Express takes the stage on Saturday, Aug. 27. On Thursday and Friday nights, music will be supplied by JMG DJ.

Rubino, who recently turned 80, reportedly told Lucia that Monroe's Italian Festival is his favorite gig. “He said that he loves coming here
and kicking off our festival,” Lucia noted.

This past weekend volunteers started physically setting up for the festival by putting a fence around the parish property and bringing several refrigerators and freezers to the food tent.

“At the start of the year, we start to talk about the Italian Festival,”
Lucia explained. “We start to plan the raffle and get all of the state permits necessary.”

Fran Cambra is responsible for a booth filled with religious memorabilia and books.

There iwill also be raffle drawing for a seven-day trip to Disney World for a family of four sponsored by Chris Tuchy, owner of the Vacation Center in Monroe. Tickets are $5. The drawing will take place the last night of the festival, Saturday, Aug. 27, at 10 p.m.

Accordiing to Lucia, over the years, the St. Jude Italian Festival has become a community event. “It's all about family, food and fun,” he said.

All proceeds from the Italian Festival will benefit the St. Jude Capital
Projects Fund and used to finance major repairs to the church and St.
Jude School. “We have accomplished so much by working together,”
said Sabia.

For more information, call St. Jude Parish office at 203-261-6404.