The 22nd San Diego Little Italy FIESTA! cultural festival took place on Oct. 9. The full-day event claimed 15 out of 48 blocks of Downtown San Diego’s famous Little Italy business district.
“This is the largest event of its kind on the West Coast,” said Courtney Rose, a representative of the Little Italy Association. “It is like a homecoming to celebrate the year’s accomplishments and pay tribute to our heritage.”
She estimated 120,000 visitors strolled through the streets, enjoying over 150 vendor booths and entertainment, cooking shows, and cultural parades with Italian accents.
One of the highlights of the event was Gesso Italiano—Italian chalk art, a tradition that dates back hundreds of years. Artists of all ages, from amateurs to professionals, took to the street with their chalk and imagination, traditional or modern.
Visitors stood beside 3D chalk art of a lake, marveling at the illusion. Some tried to walk on the wooden bridge drawn across the water.
