Italian Festival returns to Endicott for 19th year running

ENDICOTT, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) - Get ready to savor the sounds and flavors of Little Italy this Friday.

GUSTO! Italian Festival is returning to the Northside of Endicott for its 19th year.

The festival continues to grow in terms of its attendance, footprint and number of vendors, over 40 this year.

The primary focus is on Italian food, with meatballs, pizza, sausage and peppers, lamb spiedies and a wide variety of Italian desserts and pastries. Although there will be Greek and soul food vendors as well.

There will also be a wide variety of live music on multiple stages.

Little Italy Endicott Board Member Loreta Paniccia says GUSTO! helps bring awareness to the group's efforts to revitalize the neighborhood.

"GUSTO! is a capstone activity that we hold. A community event that brings in support to our vendors and our businesses, but it's more attention to our bigger mission which is supporting our neighborhood and continuing to build community and enhancing this area as much as we can," Paniccia says.

There will also be plenty of fun activities for kids including face painting, arts and crafts, yard games and magic shows.

The evening will conclude with a fireworks show over George W. Johnson Park.

GUSTO! runs from 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and is free to attend.