The San Gennaro Foundation celebrates everything Italian, with their annual street festival, The Galbani® Cheese Italian Feast of San Gennaro, Los Angeles. Since 2002, the San Gennaro Foundation has donated over $1,000,000 to local charities that benefit Los Angeles shelters, food banks, and school programs, among others..
Inspired by the 80+ year old New York City tradition, the Feast celebrates Italian culture, entertainment and cuisine, and will feature food, music, genealogy research, kid’s corner, bocce, bingo, carnival rides, games and more. Surprise celebrity guests will join the cooking team, as they demo Italian recipes on the Galbani® Cheese La Cucina Italiana Cooking Stage with Galbani® Cheese’s Chef Marco. A Procession of St. Gennaro on Hollywood Blvd. will begin at noon on Saturday, September 28th and conclude with a Mass on the Main Stage presided by Monsignor Antonio Cacciapuoti.
The weekend starts Thursday, September 26th with the opening night fundraising gala, “Prima Notte 2013”, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla and pay tribute to Italy from North to South, including music from the “San Remo Music Festival” and “That’s Amore! An American Italian Songbook.” The evening features Mark DeCarlo as Master of Ceremonies, silent and live auctions, an “Italian Casino & Poker Tournament” and The Italians are coming! weekend car raffle for a Fiat, all to raise funds for the San Gennaro Foundation.
Gala Tickets: $30/general admission with food and drink available for purchase, Reserved tables for 10 guests are available for $1,000 with a five course family-style dinner included, $100/entry for Poker Tournament.
In honor of the Feast’s 12th Anniversary and to raise funds for their various charities, there will be special events going on throughout the weekend, including a “Gravy-Sauce” competition and “Galbani® String Cheese-building” contest hosted by The Meatballs of Comedy, a Live Telethon for Veterans from the Main Stage on Sunday September 29th and a weekend ‘Will You Marrow Me?” donor campaign for Be the Match registry, which recruits marrow donors to save lives of blood cancer patients. A Blood Drive for City of Hope, Cedars Sinai, Children’s Hospital and American Red Cross will also be hosted on-site.
$5, kids 12 and under are free(all proceeds benefit the San Gennaro Foundation); September 27-29, 11 am-11 pm; 1651 N. Highland Ave.; (818) 508-0082.
