The Kelowna Canadian Italian Club held a big celebration today at its clubhouse on Lawrence Avenue.
The road was shut down from Richter Street to the clubhouse at 770 Lawrence Avenue to make room for tents, games and an Italian feast.
“We have Festa Della Repubblica going on this is a festival celebrated in Italy to commemorate Italy Day, kind of like what we do for Canada Day,” said Rosann Nanci, president of the Kelowna Canadian Italian Club.
Get breaking National news
“It represents the day that the Italians voted for the republic after the Second World War and it represents their freedom and an opportunity to create a new nation.”
The all-day event spills onto the street with a car show featuring luxury Italian cars.
“The Italians have been here for 140 years one of the original pioneers to the city. We have contributed a lot to the growth of this city, the Kelowna Canadian Italian club has been in existence for 58 years, so we are here, we are strong and we still have a vibrant community,” said Nanci.
The Kelowna Canadian Italian Club has about 140 members but according to Stats Canada there are about 9,000 in Kelowna who identify as Italian.
Comments