The Tradition Continues at the Eldorado Great Italian Festival with Food, Fun, Music and Italians

It’s a festival frenzy of Italian food, music and fun at The Eldorado Great Italian Festival, Saturday and Sunday, October 10 & 11. The 28th annual festival features the sights, sounds and tastes of Italy all day from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Virginia Street in front of the Eldorado Hotel Casino.

Festival highlights include free live Italian entertainment on two stages, a spaghetti sauce cook-off and traditional Italian fare including meat ravioli, penne pasta, Italian Sausage & Peppers, Garlic Bread, Flatbread Pizza and more! Don’t forget he famous grape stomping contest, bocce ball tournament and the kids' gelato eating contest. The festival also includes a gourmet Italian buffet inside the Eldorado Convention Center and at The Buffet. The gourmet Italian buffet starts at 4 p.m. each day. Prices are $22.99 for adults, $9.99 for children (4-10 yrs.) and $17.99 for Gold Members and above.

Don’t miss the last big farmer’s market of the season as well as the Garlic Growers Association of Gilroy and the Castroville Artichoke Growers. Festival goers should get there early for the $1 pasta bowls at 2 p.m. and to enter the drawing for a Free Trip to Italy that will be given away at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the Club Eldorado Promotions Center on the casino floor.

Live bands will be performing on the Rome and Venice stages. “The Italian Music Man,” Pasquele Esposito takes the stage on Saturday from 1:30pm-3:00pm and Sunday from 3:30-5:00pm. Other performers include Ray Massa’s Eurorhythms, Dick Contino, Roma Accordion and Moreno Fruzzetti.

For details, call the Eldorado at 1-800-648-5966 or 775-786-5700 in Nevada. Visit the Eldorado online at eldoradoreno.com.

ENTERTAINMENT SCHEDULE

ROME STAGE (4th & VIRGINIA STREET)

Saturday Sunday

10:30-12:00 Ray Massa's Eurorhythms 10:00-11:30 Roma Accordion
12:30-1:00 42nd Street Musical 12:00-12:30 42nd Street Musical
1:30-3:00 Pasquale Esposito 1:30-3:00 Dick Contino
3:30-5:00 Dick Contino 3:30-5:00 Pasquale Esposito

VENICE STAGE (3rd & VIRGINIA STREET)

Saturday Sunday

11:00-12:30 Moreno Fruzzetti 11:00-12:30 Deidre Contino
1:00-2:30 Deidre Contino 1:00-2:30 Moreno Fruzzetti
3:00-4:30 Roma Accordion 3:00-4:30 Ray Massa's Eurorhythms