Columbus Day is Monday, October 9th

Just a friendly reminder of the activities in the Mid- Atlantic area this week-end and next month: Italian Culture and Heritage Month. Be sure to visit the 10th Annual Taste of Little Italy in Baltimore on Sunday, Sept 24, 1-5 PM on the corner of High and Stiles Streets (in front of Vaccaro's).

One last thing- make sure to read about the Pandola Learning Center's activities at the bottom of the page and please SIGN UP for the Modern Sicilian seminar on the History of Sicily on December 9th.

Grazie 1000,

The Baltimore County Italian Festival is dedicated to entertaining people. The festival will feature 2 stages of live entertainment (the surprisingly cool Eurorhythms, a Frank Sinatra Impersonator Contest, and Three Italian Tenors), an outdoor movie on Saturday (Moonstruck), and a National Bocce Ball Tournament. For those of you who remember the Baltimore Italian Festival that took place on Rash Field years ago, this festival is its successor and will provide you and your family with an entire week-end of divertimenti.

This event is sponsored by Columbus Celebrations Inc., an organization dedicated to celebrating America and its discovery; to celebrating Italian as well as the multi-cultural heritage of the U.S., to supporting the community through charity and creative fundraising events, and to continuing the great tradition of Baltimore's Columbus Day Parade: America's oldest parade and celebration of its kind.

Please make sure to stop by our Modern Sicilian Network booth at the festival, located in the Italian Cultural Area.

The Columbus Day Parade in Baltimore is the oldest continuous marching Columbus Day Parade in America. This year, the parade, also sponsored by Columbus Celebrations, Inc., will feature legendary jazz recording artist, Chuck Mangione as the Grand Marshal. He will provide a live concert open to the public at 6 PM under the Big Top at Della Notte restaurant in Baltimore's Little Italy. Be sure to come out!!!

The Associated Italian-American Charities is Maryland's 16th largest charity and donates annually to Maryland-based charities, schools, and students. The organization was founded in 1947, and provided support to orphanages run by an Irish priest, Monseigneur Abbing, in Rome, Italy for boys and girls who became orphans during and after World War II. Today, the AIAC has over 100 members and actively promotes Italian culture in Maryland.

The 5th Annual Columbus Crab Feast will feature a buffet dinner and unlimited crabs. All proceeds benefit the AIAC scholarship fund. The tickets are $75.00 (adult) and $25.00 (children). Please email mgp@modernsicilian.org if interested.

Select American and Italian boxers (yes! from Italy!)will compete against each other in amateur boxing event at the DuBurns Arena in Baltimore. There are ring-side seats available, as well as on-the-floor tables and general admission. Please contact Vince Johns (410) 790-6775 or Al Massa (410) 977-2140 for tickets.

The Mr. Mack Lewis Foundation, Inc., was established to provide a healthy and positive out- reach program for youth and young adults where they are given the opportunity to receive the instruction and wisdom of Mr. Mack and his assistants in boxing skills and after-school tutoring. Their ultimate goal is to assist them in becoming socially responsible and productive individuals.

The Festa Italiana of Washington, DC was the first Italian festival in which Modern Sicilian Network participated and hence represents the inception of our organization. Since June 2003, we have participated in Italian festivals in MD, PA, DE, NY, and MA and, although the smallest festival, the Festa Italiana of DC successfully represents authentic Italian culture like none other. We highly recommend the festival to you and hope you will attend.

Washington's Italian community will bring an authentic slice of Italy to the U.S. capital on Sunday, September 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with the 8th-annual Festa Italiana street festival. This year's special features will include cooking demonstrations by members of the Associazione Culturale di Gattinara, who are flying in from Italy exclusively for the Festa, and videos and slide presentations featuring their pastoral Alpine region of Piemonte. And as always, the festival will offer plenty of live music, dancing, fabulous food, family fun and much more.

The Festa Italiana Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to preserve the culture and traditions of Italy and Italian-Americans through an annual street festival, the Festa Italiana. For more information, please visit the Festa Italiana website, www.festaitalianadc.com, or e-mail Krissy at kmellison06@yahoo.com.

The owner of Mangia's is Alex Tarasco, and in relation to the Festa Italiana of DC's Piemonte theme this year, Alex's family is also Piemontese. His father is from a small town in Piemonte near Torino. He came to the USA in 1945, not able to speak English and met Alex's mother through the Italian 'network' in Baltimore. She was born in South Philadelphia and her parents came here from Abruzzi. Alex has just one brother but had a pretty typical Italian-American household. He learned some Italian from home and from the six months he spent living in Firenze in the late 80's. Alex was born in Baltimore and spent most of his teen and adult years in the food business. Mangia Italian Grill has been at the location for 5 years and Alex and his wife have owned it for two years. Alex welcomes you to his restaurant- be sure to mention Modern Sicilian Network!

Please be sure to sign-up for a two-hour seminar on the History of Sicily that we will provide to students at the center on December 9, 2006, from 1 - 3 PM. Cost: $8

As you can see, there is a lot going on in Baltimore and Washington, DC for Italian Culture and Heritage Month and to celebrate Columbus Day!

If you know of any events that might interest the Network, please forward them to us to be published in an email such as this or on the Modern Sicilian website. Please remember that our organization is international, open to anyone passionate about Sicily, and, most of all, dedicated to you! Oh, and the events DO NOT have to be Sicily-oriented; rather, events that might interest our subscribers. So, please, let us know about what's going on in your own Network!

We are actively seeking new subscribers and would appreciate it if you would forward this email to 10 friends or colleagues who you feel would be interested in our organization. Membership is free. Mille Grazie!!!