Sadly, so many wonderful annual summer events held in our area of Colorado will be missed this year, as they have been canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. One festival we have been attending almost every year since we moved to the Denver area of Colorado seven years ago, was the free two-day "Festival Italiano" held in the streets in nearby Belmar shopping area of Lakewood, Colorado.
We enjoyed seeing all the fabulous vendors selling everything Italian at the festival--fresh pasta, gelato, pizza, cookies, wine, etc! There was bocce ball tournament, street chalk drawings, grape stomping for children, ceremonial flag throwers from Florence, Italy, musicians from Italy, and opera singers that performed on two stages! My husband and I were in heaven enjoying it all with our family.
Traditional Flag Throwers from Florence, Italy-- the "Sbandieratori Die Borchi E Sestieri Florentini"
They performed their colorful flag throwing multiple times a day. You can see videos of their performances on their web page here.
Traditional Tarantella Dancers
We enjoyed the wonderful array of Italian food and Italian food ingredients for sale by multiple vendors at the festival.
There was lots of shopping available...
...and cultural opportunities.
We have many fond memories of the events and entertainment we enjoyed over the years at the festival.
This event was always a highlight of the festival for us! If you read my last blog post about the Balistreri Vineyards--click here--you heard me mention we bought their "Little Feet Merlot" wine. It was a special vintage made the year before during the annual Balistreri Vineyards Children's Grape Stomp event at the festival!
This was the second grape stomp that our oldest granddaughter participated in, during the summer of 2018. Last summer, in 2019, we visited the vineyard to pick up a bottle of the wine that she and other children had helped to make by stomping on the merlot grapes in the large vats at the festival. Her parents are going to save the wine for her to enjoy when she is of drinking age. Our granddaughter had a lot of fun stomping the grapes the old fashioned way and it will be something we really miss seeing her do again this year.
Colorado is slowly allowing the re-opening of many activities during the summer waning of the pandemic, but continuing to stress social distancing and encouraging everyone to wear a mask when in public to prevent transmitting the virus. Festivals and other sources of large public gatherings are canceled for this year, with the hopes that they will be able to return in 2021. Since my husband and I are seniors we are remaining cautious and staying home as much as possible. We have made the decision to try to keep our risks as low as possible until we feel there is a successful treatment or vaccine for COVID-19. We feel everyone has to decide what is best for themselves going forward.
What are your plans for the summer? Please stay healthy!
You can also find me on
I'm linking this post to the following blog events:
Mosaic Monday, All Seasons, Blue Monday, Through My Lens Monday, Little Cottage Link Party, Hearth, and Soul Link Party, You Are the Star Blog Hop, Inspire Me Monday, Good Random Fun, Nature Notes, Grand Social, Travel Photos, Photo Tunes, Happiness Is Homemade, Over the Moon, Our World Tuesday, Ruby Tuesday, Tuesday Turn About. Tuesdays With A Twist, Let's Keep In Touch, Wordless Wednesday on a Tuesday, Party in Your PJ's, Wordless Wednesday, Nanahood WW, Oh My Heartsie Girl's Wonderful Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Worldless Wednesday My Corner of the World, Wonderful Wednesday, Little Things Thursday, Thankful Thursday, Thursday Encouraging Hearts and Home, Full Plate Thursday, Thursday Thinking Out Loud, Friendship Fridays, Friday Features Linky Party, Skywatch Friday, Pink Saturday, Saturday Critters
Posts
34 comments:
All festivals and gathering are cancelled here for the rest of the year also.
I will miss them.
We are seniors too and will maintain our self-isolation as much as possible.
We don't have any travels plans as yet.
We will do day trips around the area, bringing a picnic and avoiding people.
Oh, what a wonderful festival it would be to attend. I always enjoy street festivals. They have so much to offer those who attend! Stay well, stay safe and have a wonderful week!
We are taking the extra precautions...still...too! I sure miss the Spring festivals though. Thanks for sharing these photos! Take care and stay safe! Hugs!
What a colorful festival!
Oh that looks like so much fun so sad everything is canceled this year but thanks for the memory photos. The food looks fabulous.
Dawn aka Spatulas On Parade
It's a shame so many events have been cancelled, but we have to stay safe. This looked like a really enjoyable festival.
Looks like such a fun festival. I will bet the food was terrific. Too bad the summer festivals will not happen this year.
I understood the sadness of cancelling these events. We have a large Corn and Apple Festival in my town each August, draws thousands of people and it too has been cancelled .I understand why it is done and I know we need to try and keep this virus at a minimum .
Hi,
The festival looks very colorful and lots of fun..Thanks for sharing. Have a great day!
It looks like a colorful affair. The food looks yummy too. We won't be having any festivals in Minneapolis.
What a fab festival looked like so much fun and loads going on :-)
Have a safetastic week 😷😷😷
That looks like such a fun festival!
I wonder how long it will be until we can congregate in this way. I miss being able to enjoy activities such as this, although normally I'm not much for crowds.
Thanks for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2020/06/48-years-with-this-guy.html
Such wonderful memories ... your granddaughter will love these pictures to go along with that bottle of Little Feet when she is old enough. (Well, I’m sure she loves the pictures already, but they will be so special to see again then! ). ..what a wonderful Festival and it must have reminded you two of being back in NYC, or even on your trips to Italy! I hope it returns next summer!
We are handling it pretty much the same as you two, although we can sit in Cyndis huge yard and visit at a distance (and at least see part of their faces j))... we only have gone out there three times since we’ve been home though, it’s not like it used to be when we dropped in often, because back then we could visit inside if the weather was bad,). I walk in our own neighborhood, sidewalks and paths are wide and not too crowded. Most people wear masks also (as we do always).
Pat - yes, I am afraid 2020 may be the year that we all feel we lost to a black hole, never to be retrieved. So many cherished events or activities or vacations that will never take place. How fortunate we are that we have bloggers like you that can take us back in time and re-create some of those good feelings. Love the idea of the Little Feet wine and saving it until someone comes of age.
As I write this, I am in Ohio visiting my Mom and other family now that the 14-day quarantine has been lifted. We are being careful. When I return to Montana, it will be our near-normal summer activities of hiking and camping.
Thanks for linking to Mosaic Monday with such a terrific post!
not much to do around here but protest.
this really looks like a nice festival.
Nice to know about the Festival Italiano. The festival looks like a lot of fun. :)
Take care. :)
You really make me want to come to Colorado!
So bright and colorful.
Amalia
xo
it looks like a very lively festival!
Grape stomping always brings to mind the old I Love Lucy episode where she is stomping grapes. Looks like your little stompers were much more well behaved than Lucy!
That looks like fun!!
So many great events cancelled. This really looks like a fun one! Great photos.
It looks like a lot of fun and I think we will get back to our fun selves all over the world soon!
I am excited to see your corner at 'My Corner of the World' this week! Thanks for linking up.
Hello,
I am sorry to see all the events cancelled. The Italian festival looks like fun, great memories and photos. Your granddaughter is enjoying herself stomping the grapes, so cute. Have a great day!
So much fun and joy in your photos. When the annual events finally can shine again, they'll be even more appreciated. Many of us have a way of taking things for granted. The Husband and I are in the same boat as you and yours. There's lot of summer fun to be had in our back yard. Cheers! :-)
Yes we have been and will be missing a lot of such gatherings and festivals. The Festival Italiano looks fun. Aren't photographs a treasure of memories and emotions? See how you and all those who are reading your post reliving it virtually
All of our festivals have been canceled for this year..Enjoyed seeing yours...
Looks great.
Your granddaughter's a cutie. Big smile seeing the little ones stomping on the grapes! Sad that there will be no festival this year. Same in my neck of the woods... Coachella, Stagecoach, Greek Theater, Hollywood Bowl. A long list of cancelled events.
That looks like a fun festival. When we lived in Southern California we like to fly our small plane to San Diego and walk over to Little Italy. Once in a while we would time it for one of their amazing street parties with all of the restaurants selling specialty items out front. All of the festivals and celebrations in our home town have been cancelled at least through August. Who knows what will be happening beyond that. - Margy
Hello there, thanks for sharing your Tomato Zucchini and Cheese pie at love Your Creativity. I am happy to feature it today. So sorry the festival was cancelled. Difficult times this year. Happy Sunday.
Yes, it is a shame that so many events have been cancelled, but our safety and health take priority.
I did enjoy seeing all of your photographs here.
All the best Jan
Any idea when the Italian festival will return to Belmar in Lakewood, CO? It's 2024!!!
Post a Comment