June is Italian heritage month, and this year Italian Days was held on Sunday June 9, 2024
I hate crowds, so I can’t give you a first-hand account of Italian Days this year. Having watched a couple of YouTube videos though, I can tell you that it was a gorgeous day that drew thousands of people to eat, drink and be entertained on Commercial Drive in what the Italians (or possibly City Hall) are billing as the largest cultural street festival in Vancouver.
Anna Terrana:
The first Italian Days festival was organized by a group led by Anna Terrana and held on June 26, 1977. Times were simpler, there were samplings of pasta and pizza and home-made wine tastings. There was a puppet show, a bocce challenge and performances by the Sicilian Folk Society, the Alpini Band, the Italian Folk Choir of BC, Polynesian Dancers and an appearance by the Chinese lion.
Bruce Stewart, who lived for at time on Graveley Street, was there to record the “mood on the street.”
“Back then, it was a gathering, in the true sense of the word. People from all over town were there, with a large contingent from the local Italian community centred largely around The Drive,” he says. “Many families showed up for gelato and treats in their Sunday finest. It was a happy, low-key event.”
The Drive: then and now:
“Much of The Drive has changed little – other parts, quite a bit. Some store fronts have faded away to be replaced by new businesses, restaurants, espresso bars and fitness joints,” he says.
The building that housed Gransasso Billiards at 1622 Commercial Drive still exists. It is now a Mexican restaurant called La Mezcaleria. Manitoba Hardware at 1714 Commercial Drive is now a vintage clothes store called Mintage.
The first Italian Days unfortunately clashed with the fourth year of Greek Days on West Broadway.
Says Bruce: “I went over to photograph Italian Day in the morning, then charged over to West Broadway to cover Greek Day in the afternoon!”
Italian days moved from The Drive to the Italian Cultural Centre on Slocan Street in 1985 and moved back to The Drive in 2010.
If you’d like to know more about “Little Italy” check out John Atkin’s “A Brief History of Little Italy”
© All rights reserved. Unless otherwise indicated, all blog content copyright Eve Lazarus.
Related:
- The Evolution of Devonian Harbour Park
- Aborted Plans: All Seasons Park
- The Dollarton Pleasure Faire of 1972
- Walks with Fred Herzog
- The Stanley Park Easter Be-Ins
12 comments on “Italian Days 1977: a photo essay by Bruce Stewart”
I would have been over at Greek Days, as my grandmother lived at 8th and Bayswater. But wow, these are fantastic photographs! I’d love to see more.
Glad you enjoyed the post! We have blog/photo essays by Bruce coming up about the Sea Festival, Dollarton Pleasure Faire and the PNE from the ’70s
Excellent – love it
A fun retrospective…
Thank you for this! It brought back so many memories. Born and raised in the area and lived upstairs in the tall building behind the Spartano sign in the 80’s – 90’s. The building was owned by Dr. A.K.B. Khoo, who ran his medical practice downstairs. Italian Day was simply the best.
Thanks so much for adding to the story! So happy you enjoyed the blog and Bruce’s amazing photos
Bruce is a gifted photographer and this is a wonderful document of the time, thanks for introducing me to his work…
Bruce’s photos really captured two 1970s fashion moments: flared slacks and platform shoes. Immediately to the right of the photo of Gransasso Billiards is the first letter for the Woolworth’s store next door. The Manitoba Hardware neon sign really illuminated the street at night, right across from the Star Weekly neon sign. I love the juxtaposition of the full clotheslines and the Speed Queen washing machine advertisement.
Those were the days when people actually lived in the city: they worked in their neighbourhoods, they shopped at local stores for everything, they went to local theatres and bars, they had vegetable gardens in their front yards, school and church were blocks away, they visited their relatives and neighbours, on hot summer evenings they had picnics in local parks and sat on their porches to enjoy the cool breeze, car ownership was rare, everyone walked everywhere … in every city … as I am from Ottawa. I watched these neighbourhoods get destroyed by greed and stupidity.
Beautiful, thank you very much Eve and Bruce. When I lived near the drive I bought great shoes at Kalena’s, I checked and it still there. And the coffee at Joe’s definitely wakes me up.
Everything in the 70s was fabulous and Italian Days was right up there. I lived in Burnaby but spent a lot of time in East Vancouver as I worked year-round for the PNE. We always went to Italian and Greek days. Parades, picnics, families and good food everywhere. Everyone walked everywhere long after dark. So glad we got to experience those times.
Eve, I enjoy all your articles!
Thanks so much Linda!