When in Rome, do as the Romans do, when in Nelson on 2 March, do as the locals with Italian heritage do. Nelson’s molto buono Italian festival this Sunday, hosted by Club Italia Nelson, will reach soprano, showcasing la bella vita (the beautiful life) of the world-famous country more than 18,400km away.
Roma-born festival organiser Flavia Spena, whose eight years in Nelson have been amore, says Italians, mostly from the coastal town of Massa Lubrense, first settled in the region in the 1870s, and there are up to 1000 local residents today with Italian roots.
She says the free-entry festa on lower Trafalgar St rolls out a Little Italy to Nelsonians with Italian food and wine, cooking classes, traditional folk music and dance, crafts, children and adult table football tournaments, and Italian vehicles from Ducati motorcycles to Alfa Romeo and Fiat.
A raffle to win a five-night stay for two in Massa Lubrense will also be on the table.
“The outcome is really the recognition of the culture… and it’s really a festival for everyone,” Flavia says.
“Everybody in the city was really happy to participate [at last year’s event], and the Italians from Club Italia were really proud of sharing.”
More than 5000 showed up for the 2024 festivities and this year’s event extends to Trafalgar Park.
The event, held between 10am and 4pm, is supported by the Italian Embassy in Wellington, Nelson City Council, Italian Chamber of Commerce in NZ, and Comites Nuova Zelanda, a committee representing Italian nationals living in New Zealand and the Pacific.
