“Tomorrow, Bradford citizens of Italian origin and the rest of the community as well, will launch the observance of a two-day festival in honor of the Feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin and St. Rocco, Italian patron saint. Under the direction of Michael Rich, colorful chairman of the fete, commemoration of the days has become an institution here over the past quarter of a century.”

-editorial, The Bradford Era, Aug. 12, 1937

The annual Festa Italiana, held each August on Festival Way, is eagerly anticipated by Bradfordians — and not by just those of Italian descent! It’s a three-day tradition of great homemade Italian food, games, music, dancing, fireworks and greeting old friends – many of whom return to Bradford expressly for Festa Italiana – as the city joyously celebrates its Italian heritage.

Although the exact date of the first Italian Festival is disputed – some claim it began as early as 1903 – it is likely that the beginnings of the festival as we know it began in 1907 when the Italian Mutual Aid Society of Lewis Run celebrated the first anniversary of its founding, coinciding with the Feast of the Assumption on Aug. 12. The society had been founded in 1906 to extend aid, both financial and otherwise, to its members and recent Italian immigrants.

That first celebration saw 37 members attend a high Mass at St. Bernard Church followed by a parade down East Corydon, Mechanic, Main and Boylston streets accompanied by officers of the Bradford Police force and a local band, the Big 4.

The next couple of years saw similar religious celebrations held on the Feast of the Assumption, Aug. 12, and much bigger celebrations held by the local Italian population on Columbus Day in October.

By 1910, however, under the direction of a man named Mike Rich, an early version of today’s Festa Italiana was born.

Rich, whose Italian name was Michael Gaetano Ricciardi, had been born in Italy, south of Rome in 1865 and had immigrated to the United States in 1886 at the age of 21. He was a devout Catholic, was married and had eight children, and alternated between working as a wood contractor in the summer and shoe repairman in the winter.

Previously, Rich had been in charge of the Columbus Day celebrations in the city. Now, in 1910, at age 45, he was vice president of the local Regina Elena Society and volunteered to organize a combined festival honoring the Feast of the Assumption on Aug. 15 and St. Rocco’s Feast Day on Aug. 16. He would continue as chairman of the festival for the next 34 years.

Rich’s vision of a festival contained fireworks, parades and a Catholic Mass honoring both the Blessed Mary and St. Rocco. He was especially fond of fireworks.

The 1911 was a two-day festival featuring three bands – the Johnsonburg Italian band, the Citizens Band and Bradford’s own Italian band; two nights of expensive fireworks on Mt. Raub (over $9,000 in today’s money) supplied by the New Castle Fireworks Co., and a blessing of the statue of the Assumption of Mary at 9:30 a.m. in St. Bernard Church. Following the church services, members of the Regina Elena lodge and all Italian school children from St. Bernard school joined in marching down Webster Street to Main, to Davis, to Boylston, to Washington, to Mechanic, back to Main and East Main, and then down to Roberts Street. Another parade was held that afternoon. Mike Rich was the Master of Ceremonies.

In 1912, the festivities were even grander. It was now a three-day celebration, with both the Regina Elena Society and the Christopher Columbus Society joining together and parading with all the “children of Italian parents” to St. Bernard church, where, at the conclusion of the church services, all the little girls, dressed in white, together with the Kane and Bradford Italian bands, marched from Webster to Main to Davis, eventually ending at East Main Street.

The two bands gave concerts throughout the day in different parts of the city, followed by fireworks on Mt. Raub, and a dance that evening at Luna Park, off East Main Street.

Similar activities were held in 1915, with several band concerts by Licari’s Buffalo Italian band as well as the Citizen’s band, which played in the Public Square, at Main and Davis streets, and Main and High streets. The parade that year featured both girls and women appropriately costumed in white and the obligatory fireworks on Mt. Raub.

During World War I, the fireworks were canceled although the festival was held, but following the war in 1919, it was announced that “the celebration this year should be more elaborate and fervent than in former years on account of the effect of peace on our home life conditions. We should celebrate with more ardor and enthusiasm not only to show our devotion to our race as a part of the great family of mankind but to confirm in gratitude and joy our loyalty to America who with us fought to make the world a comfortable place for all races of the earth, in which they may live and grow amidst peace and harmony, as one great brotherhood.”

Unfortunately, there was a streetcar strike that year, and it rained as well, so attendance was lower than usual, but Mike Rich and his committee were still pleased with the money raised.

In 1922, the celebration included street dancing on Chambers Street, a footrace with cash prizes, four different bands which played at various locations throughout the city and, of course, fireworks.

August 1928 saw a rather unusual occurrence when local Herbert Hoover “Hoover Boosters” supporting Hoover’s run for the presidency, chose the Italian Festival celebration to burn a giant “H” on Mt. Raub. No word if their efforts swayed any of the voters.

In 1934, The Bradford Era reported “brilliant pyrotechnic displays on Mt. Raub, the Buffalo Italian band blaring melodies in the street and the streets crowded.”

In 1939, a new state law requiring the post of a bond prior to staging a fireworks exhibition almost caused that year’s display to be canceled but a telegram from Harrisburg allowing it arrived just in time.

Rich continued to organize every festival each August, complete with parades, music, visitors to town, fireworks and raising enough money to pay for the whole event until his death at age 79 on July 4, 1944. That year, his family asked that the festival be canceled in his memory. There was no festival that year, but a special high Mass was offered at St. Bernard.

The next year saw a new festival chairman, Mike Balbo. He declared that there would be a double firework display that year, in observance of Japan’s surrender to the Allies following the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As a special treat, two young girls, the Horne sisters, Marilyn and Gloria, sang in the Square that evening, and a dance was held in the B. & O. freight yard at the foot of Main Street.

Then, almost unbelievably, in 1951 it was announced that “for the first time in 50 years, Bradford will be without its traditionally colorful civic observances of Assumption Day and St. Rocco’s Day, Aug. 15 and Aug. 16. Times and interests often have a way of changing.”

There would not be another Italian Festival for the next 28 years.

In 1979, however, perhaps remembering the festivals of the past and hoping to revive the pride in Bradford’s Italian heritage, volunteers successfully reinstated the annual Italian Festival.

Now called Festa Italiana, it’s held on the former Webster Street, renamed Festival Way in January 2002. It’s become one of Bradford’s greatest summertime traditions and where everyone, just for a few days, can be Italian.