This month in the Capital City of Ohio, the 44th annual Columbus Italian Festival will be held on the grounds of the historic St. John the Baptist (SJB) Italian Catholic church. The first Italian festival was held in 1980. The festival runs from Friday, Oct. 11 to Sunday, Oct. 13.
The festival parade is on Sunday with Grand Marshall Tom Bosco of local news station ABC6. The festival theme this year is “Abruzzo.” Why Abruzzo? Italian immigrants mostly from the region of Abruzzo started settling in Columbus at the turn of the 20th century with the majority settling in what is known as “Italian Village.” Today, many central Ohioan families have Abruzzese roots! No matter the theme, the festival is truly a celebration of Italian food, culture, and traditions like a bocce tournament. And this Italian festival comes with musical entertainment featuring the Sicilian tenors and the Rick Brunetto Big Band.
Historically, Italian Village has been a diverse area although it got its name because of the high concentration of Italians. In 1898, St. John the Baptist Italian Catholic Church was established and helped to shape the local Italian American community and it became a prominent Italian landmark and a center for the Italian Catholic community. The 125th anniversary of St. John’s was celebrated in 2023. Today, outside the main entrance of the church stands an Ohio Historical Marker that designates “Chiesa Italiana Di San Giovanni Battista”, the Italian Catholic Church of Saint John the Baptist, as being listed on the National Register of Historical Places.
Like in many other U.S. cities, the local Italian American population moved away from the historic Little Italy enclaves they once lived in. However, Italian pride still runs deep in Columbus where it continues to thrive. In 1980, the Columbus Italian Festival was established under the vision of Father Casto Marrapese who was the head priest of St. John the Baptist church and created the event to bring Italian Americans together to share religious values and celebrate Italian heritage.
Today, the Italian Cultural Center located in Marrapese Hall of the church is where various local Italian American groups meet. The groups include the Piave Club, Le Donne Club, La Prossima, San Giovanni dancers, Padre Pio, SJB Social activities, SJB Religious education, Italian Language classes, SJB choir, and CIAO – Columbus Italian Ancestry Organization.
The Columbus Italian Festival even has a “Hall of Fame” that honors all the inductees for their incredible vision, drive and work ethic for the creation and betterment of the festival. Others who make each annual festival a tremendous success are the festival chairpersons, volunteers, sponsors, and countless other individuals.
Because of the dedication of so many individuals, the Columbus Italian Festival is a must-attend event this October and in the foreseeable future. The historic St. John the Baptist Italian Catholic Church is the foundation for those of Italian descent in the Capital City of Columbus and the annual Columbus Italian festival is for all to experience a great tradition.
