CIAO! 6/17/12: Cortland’s Annual St. Anthony’s Festival & Interview With The Highland Winds Quartet

Joey Nigro writes:

Who doesn’t love an Italian festival! The food, of course, is always the most popular feature: traditional sausage and pepper sandwiches, verde e fagioli (greens & beans), pasta e fagioli (pasta & beans), gnocchi, lasagna roll ups, meatball subs, chicken riggies, tomato & cucumber salad, and everyone’s favorite, Pizza Fritta!  Of course all the wonderful dolci (sweets) and pastries, our personal favorite, cannoli, biscotti, and homemade (did they say, homemade?!) Italian cookies and pizzelle (like our grandmothers made!).

Stephanie Passeri-Densmore contacted us to let us know that St. Anthony of Padua Church in Cortland will be celebrating the feast of San Antonio with their annual Italian American Festival on Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17, on  the church grounds at 50 Pomeroy St. in Cortland.

She writes:  ”On Saturday afternoon and evening we feature a Mass in Italian at 5:30, spaghetti supper (4 to 7 PM); outdoors after Mass we have live entertainment, food and novelty booths.  Sunday morning we have a traditional Mass and benediction, followed by a traditional Italian religious procession/Italian American parade around Cortland’s historically Italian East Side.  The festival grounds open at 12:30 with food, live outdoor and indoor entertainment, food and novelty booths, silent auctions, bounce house, and other kids’ games and food. Directions and more information can be found at www.saintanthonysfestival.org. ”

On Sunday’s program, we will feature the final segments of our interview with John Flaver, Tom Soccocio, Ed O’Rourke and Tom McKay who make up the clarinet quartet.  We shared stories and our love of music and laughed a lot! Here’s audio for you to check out:

   

The Highland Winds perform in a wide variety of venues, including elementary schools, libraries, retirement communities, nursing homes, assisted care facilities, churches and synagogues. Performances have included concerts, educational programs, and wedding music.  And, most importantly to us, they have an interactive musical program specifically for young audiences.  More information on them and their programs can be found at:  http://www.highlandwinds.org/index.html

About CIAO! on WCNY-FM:  Italians love to say, “Canta che ti passa!” “Sing that it will pass!” so we always feature great music on CIAO!…a mix of old and new songs by our Italian American artists and Italian singers and composers…music that will lift your spirits…and music that you won’t hear anywhere else!  Whether or not you’re Italian American, CIAO! is where you can enjoy the music, fun and traditions and celebrate the Italian in YOU!  CIAO airs every Sunday afternoon at 3:00 on WCNY-FM with me, Joey Nigro and my co-host Jim Battaglia, or online at http://www.wcny.org/radio/listen-now/classicfm

And we invite you to “like” our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pages/CIAO-on-WCNY/363893410303831