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”
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