2026 Italian Heritage Celebration
April 12 @ 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
COME CELEBRATE OUR ROOTS
with the Italian Community of Tampa Bay
April 12, 2026 | 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
In celebration of Agrigento's as the Cultural Capital of Italy, and in honor of the enduring sister city relationship between Agrigento and Tampa, we invite you to join us in commemorating the rich heritage and deep connections between the Italian community in the Tampa Bay area and the people of Agrigento.
The event will feature traditional Italian cuisine from local restaurants, vibrant folkloric dances and music, demonstrations of wine and olive oil production, and much more!
Purchase your discounted tickets today!
*Starting on March 25th, 2026 the base ticket price increases to $40
Children up to 10 years of age are Free
CELEBRATING AGRIGENTO
CULTURAL CAPITAL OF ITALY for 2025
The beautiful Sicilian city of Agrigento, one of Tampa’s 11 Sister Cities, has been awarded the title of Italian Capital of Culture for the year 2025. Special events and celebrations, together with enhanced tourist attractions, will highlight the city’s historic values and natural beauty. As many Tampa natives and longtime residents trace their roots in the Agrigento province, we are honored to join in the festivities and showcase the rich array of activities that the year-long program will offer
CELEBRATING ANCESTRAL TOWNS
FRIENDSHIP CITY AFFILIATION
Approximately 90% of Tampa’s Italian American community traces its ancestry to towns in the Province of Agrigento, like Bivona, Cianciana, Alessandria della Rocca, and Santo Stefano Quisquina. In order to preserve the special friendship that unites the Tampa Bay area with these towns, a new agreement is about to be signed to formalize relations between Tampa and our ancestral Sicilian towns. The official affiliation agreement will be formally signed in Tampa during this event. The aim is to foment tourism, educational and cultural exchange programs, and trade
AUGMENTED REALITY
TRAVEL BACK IN TIME
Thanks to the extraordinary work of faculty and students of the USF Institute of Digital Exploration, time travel is never been closer. Employing cutting-edge technology, IDEx teams have spent countless hours 3D mapping monuments, objects, and archaeological sites to let “digital explorers” experience a full immersion in our history. Don’t miss this opportunity to visit the past, listen to scholars sharing stories about their findings, and watch ancient jewelry and everyday objects being 3D-printed back to life under your very eyes!
TASTE OF ITALY
IN FOOD WE TRUST
The Italian heritage we all know and love is the taste of timeless Italian culinary specialties! Several renowned local restaurants will bring their most cherished dishes to delight us with their cuisine. Delicious samplings of Italian antipasto items and sips of wine, also available for purchase through donations to the Sons of Italy Lodge, will be offered in our tasting areas
TRADITIONAL DANCE PERFORMANCES
Sicily is a magical place, rich in history and filled with colors, fragrances, silences, and sounds. Travel with us into the sound of this region with traditional Sicilian dances to be performed by the students of ON THE EDGE @FRANKREYDANCE STUDIO
MILLENARY WELLNESS: OLIVE OIL
Olive oil has been around at least since 4000 BC, and it is considered a staple ingredient of the Mediterranean diet. Learn with us how pure Extra Virgin Olive Oil is made in Italy to this day, and taste its flavors with COSTIERA Extra Virgin Olive Oil
IN VINO VERITAS
WINE TRADITIONS
How is sweet or dry wine made? Why does it turn into vinegar if not carefully produced? PARDO WINE GRAPES will display and share wine-making tools and methods and the folk science behind its thousand-year old history
LANDSCAPES AND FLAVORS
A MAGICAL TRIP
Distinguished USF Professor Santo V. Nicosia, author of “Travels and Food for Body and Soul” will join us to sign his book and tell us about his long journeys throughout Southern Italy and his explorations of the Mediterranean diet
ITALIAN STUDIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL HUMANITIES
Italian Studies at USF, singlehandedly founded by Prof. LaTrecchia in 2004, allows students to gain proficiency in Italian language and acquire a thorough knowledge of Italian cultural history in a transnational perspective. The courses provide a multidisciplinary approach to the study of food culture as well as environmental issues. The program prepares students to become receptive to the global concerns of our society increasing their capabilities in writing, speaking, intercultural literacy, and effective citizenship, all skills that are useful in a variety of professions.