Collinsville’s 31st annual Italian Fest begins at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 19, with the opening ceremonies on the Venezia Stage, including a performance of classic Italian songs by area-native Bailey Jo Hutton.

After graduating from Edwardsville High School, Hutton was accepted to John Hopkins Peabody Institute in Maryland where she is currently a sophomore. Hutton will be singing the Italian National Anthem and some selections by Italian composer Giacomo Puccini.

The new uptown parking lot, at the site of the old post office building, will be available Italian Fest weekend, Collinsville Director of Streets Rod Cheatham said. The finishing touches on the parking will be made after the festival.

Visiting from Italian neighborhood the Hill in St. Louis, the Italian Community Band will perform traditional songs and selections from Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra at 1:30 p.m. Friday on the Venezia Stage. The band will join a lineup of rock, country and blues bands.

The traditional Italian game bocce ball is played each year during the Italian Fest. This year, the tournament begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 20, in Glidden Park. Registration starts at 9 a.m.

Bocce is similar to American horseshoes. Players compete in teams of two, each trying to throw their set of bocce balls closest to the target ball, or pallino, to earn points. Winning teams are given trophies, and bragging rights.

The all-day tournament will feature beer, soda and hot dogs.

Collinsville’s interest in the sport can be traced to the town’s large Italian immigrant population, which, several generations ago, wanted cheap, easy entertainment and decided on bocce, an Italian Fest spokesperson said.

Back on Main Street, at about the same time of the bocce ball tournament, a competition of a different kind will be taking place. Rather than seasoned contenders, the Diaper Dash will feature infants 12 months-old and younger.

Registration begins at 10:30 a.m. and the Dash itself, which is a 10-foot long carpet crawl for the infants, begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at Main and Clinton. The first three babies to cross the carpet in each heat — grouped by age — will receive special prizes.

From 1-3 p.m. Saturday at Main and Clinton, a Budweiser Clydesdale will visit the Italian Fest. Patrons can get their picture taken with the icon at the Collinsville Progress Stand.

The annual parade will take place at 4 p.m. Saturday. The parade travels Main Street from Hesperia to Seminary, before turning north on Seminary and continuing on West Clay. The theme this year is “eat up, Italian style.”

To close out the Italian Fest events, the midnight bike ride, escorted by the Police Department through the Collinsville streets, begins at 11:59 p.m. Saturday. Paisan Pedal Push participants should meet in front of the Collinsville Public Library.

Half of the proceeds from the Paisan Pedal Push are donated to Relay for Life Collinsville teams.

See the attached for a complete list of event times and locations.  2014 Italian Fest Events