Francene, I'd like to start off with you.

Welcome to WVIA Keystone Edition.

Tell us a little bit about the impact, and it is a huge number of visitors that come to La Festa.

But actually, tell us a little bit about your personal connection.

Why is it important to share culture with the community at March?

- So La Festa Italiana is held annually over Labor Day weekend.

We have about 150,000 visitors that attend over the four-day weekend.

And there's no cost to attend.

We have free entertainment, all types of bands.

We have two stages that, so there's always live entertainment going on.

We have about 65 vendors around the square.

And then there's strolling entertainment and all types of foods.

But it's close and near and dear to me.

This is my 32nd, well, this was my 32nd year on the board.

My mother, my parents came directly from Sicily.

I have their trunk in my living room.

But it's just a great cultural event, but you don't have to be Italian, obviously, to attend.

But it's just a great celebration.

It's held downtown on Courthouse Square, which makes it even more traditional and lively.

It's just a great event.

We have so many people that come from all over, from like about 75,000 guests come from out of the area.

And outlining counties, we have buses that come in, that people come from all the other surrounding states.

It's just a great tradition.

And honestly, I wanted to quit many years, but my kids, my two daughters have been there since they were in strollers, and they love the celebration.

And their friends now participate, and everyone works at our stand.

I manage, my girlfriend and I manage the novelty stand.

I actually design all the T-shirts and purchase all the merchandise.

But all the proceeds from our stand go back to offsetting the cost of the festival.

- Did you do some design work on what you're wearing right now?

- Yes, I did.

So we press on demand.

So we have design set up, and then you pick your shirt and style, and we make them as you wait for them.

But we also have sponsors and sponsorship levels.

So we don't really take any money from the county or anywhere, but it's quite undertaking.

We have to pay security 24 hours to make sure that no one damages any of the vendor stands.

And we pay the ambulance and fire department, and everyone's there all weekend.

So it is quite expensive.

All our entertainment is very costly.

My stand helps offset the cost of that, as well as sponsorships and events and things.

- I know we're gonna talk a little bit more about food when we bring Flora into the conversation, but first, a favorite food that you get at the festival.

- Yeah, so I have to start off with a super salad sandwich from one of our vendors that we absolutely love.

And of course, Unico Porchetta is always a line around the block, and we have some homemade pasta stands.

And it's just a mix.

I, unfortunately, really never get to walk around the whole square.

(laughing) I am stuck behind my tent.

So my daughters will run.

I'll be like, "Go get me that, quick, hurry up."

But I'll start the morning off with a super salad sandwich.

I always say, they take a picture and say, "Breakfast of champions for the festival."

- Oh, I can tell that you're so passionate about this.

It takes that passion.

I know community organizers, you're invested in your community and you wanna share with the community.

So thank you for doing that.

- Yeah, I just wanna add a small, I mentioned this before, a small number of committee members actually put on the festival.

It's like a dozen.

- Small but mighty, huh?

- Yeah, it is mighty.

But you know, it's quite an achievement for the little amount of manpower that go into it and people, yeah.