Italian Day on the Drive 2024

2024 Theme: STORIA

A lively 14 block community embrace and festa, it has become Vancouver’s largest and most anticipated cultural street festival, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees of all ages and cultures.

Since 2010, Italian Day’s revival on Commercial Drive, home to Vancouver’s historic Little Italy, has been shaping a new chapter of Italo-Canadian history. Fittingly, this reflection is what has inspired this year’s 2024 theme – STORIA – meaning History or Story in Italian. The significance of this year’s theme is that history creates memories, generating emotional connections with the ability to transcend generations via storytelling, keeping traditions and important values alive, while bridging the past with the present. We are drawn to history because its story is our story, where too we can learn from the past to create a better future.

We welcome you to be part of this year’s Italian Day history/story when The Drive comes alive in the style of Italy’s vibrant streets and piazzas: tutti festeggiando la dolce vita, feasting on food and drink offered by merchants, vendors, and al fresco patios; while paired with the banquet are cultural attractions animating intersections and Grandview Park, drawing attendees to live music, dancing in the streets, and a love of Italian lifestyle – fashion and design; not to forget welcoming distractions where family fun activities and artisan gems are discovered…all delivered with amore.

Historia vero testis temporum, lux veritatis, vita memoriae, magistra vitae, nuntia vetustatis
History is indeed a witness of time, the light of truth, the life of memory, the teacher of life, the messenger of antiquity.

Street Highlights include:
- 160 street participants: comprised of 20 patios, 60 Drive merchants, 23 food trucks/carts, and over 55 outside vendors, sponsors and non-profits
- 45 Italian food, beverage and product related merchants and vendors; and an additional 20 European and Latin amici (merchants and vendors)
- 3 music stages + 1 Music Tent: Main Stage in Grandview Park, Piazza Italia Stage @ 2nd Ave, Piazza Moda Stage @ 3rd Ave, and Piazza Bosa Music Tent @ Parker Street
- 4 DJs: DJ Storm (Jeff Gentile) @ Grant St Piazza; DJ MiXXX (Nick Guarna) @ Napier St Piazza; DJ Vic Mazzei at Pasta Eating Contest Stage @ 5th Ave; and MRZ DJ (Maurizio Margari) at Piazza Moda @ 3rd Ave
- 7 street personalities: special guest celebrity shoeshiner and artisan shoemaker direct from Verona, Italy – Gaio Il Calzolaio, as well as carnival stilt walkers, and living statues
- 5 activities for the whole family: Carnival Games & RE/MAX Children’s Arts & Crafts zone (Grandview Park); Pasta Eating Contests (5th Ave), BMO human foosball (Parker Street); Il Centro Exotic Car Display (4th Ave) and Vespa Metro Vancouver – Il Concorso d’Eleganza Vespa scooter display (2nd Ave)
- 5 seating areas: Grandview Park, 2nd Ave, 3rd Ave, Grant Street, Parker Street
- 4 raffle prize opportunities: 1st Prize – Vespa Primavera Scooter; 2nd Prize – Fontana Forni wood-fire oven with pizza making class for two; 3rd Prize – Shop & Dine Little Italy Experience; 4th Prize – Tickets for 4 to Whitecaps FC game with signed Jersey.
- 3 raffle stations with over $11,000 worth of prizes and an opportunity to win a Vespa Primavera (1st Prize)! This year will also feature limited edition Little Italy merchandise at the raffle stations, located at 2nd Ave, Grant Street and in Grandview Park (by main stage)
- 2 fashion shows with Milan-style runways at Piazza Moda on 3rd Ave, featuring Canadian designers Atelier GRANDI and JAC by Jacqueline Conoir, with shoes and handbags from Kalena Shoes (Drive merchant since 1967).
- Authentic Italian Table: Presented by the Italian Chamber of Commerce, indulge ‘Made in Italy’ food products, wine and beer samplings, as well as other products in Grandview Park
- Bosa Foods’ Piazza: dedicated to product samplings from Bosa Foods Famiglia product line, as well as offering compliment live music and some seating throughout the day at Parker Street
- Opening Ceremony join us at Main Stage in Grandview Park when we launch the Italian Day festival from noon – 12:45pm in the spirit of celebration, featuring guest speakers and performers
- 1 American Idol Contestant: Emma Busse, a local 20 year old Italo-Canadian who made top 24 on this season’s American Idol, will be performing at the Opening Ceremony and at 2nd & 3rd Ave stages
- 1 award-winning pizzaiolo: award-winning pizza chef Giuseppe Cortinovis collaborates with Fontana Forni @ 4th Ave to showcase Made in Italy wood-fire and gas pizza ovens, including direct from the oven pizza samplings.
- 1 bike valet: Use our complimentary bike valet @ 6th Ave, walk or take transit
- 1 unforgettable experience
More info