MILWAUKEE — The Festa Italiana is canceling its festival at Henry Maier Festival Park for the third year in a row. Organizers blamed COVID-19 for making the festival impossible.
"Due to the circumstances associated with COVID-19 and its impact on the organization during the past few years, the Directors deemed it the best course of action to reimagine how we celebrate Italian culture and heritage in 2022," according to a statement from organizers on Friday.
Organizers canceled Festa Italiana in 2020 following the global outbreak of the coronavirus and canceled it again in 2021 as the virus lingered in many communities.
Like many businesses and organizations, the Italian Community Center took a financial toll due to the pandemic.
"It just would not be fiscally responsible for us to hold Festa Italiana on the Henry Maier Festival Grounds," said Rose Anne Fritchie, President of the Italian Community Center.
Last year the festival's board of directors promised Festa Italiana will return "bigger and better than ever" in 2022.
Organizers said to stay tuned for more information regarding what the Italian Community Center has planned for celebrating Italian culture this year.
