Dick Contino, "World's Greatest Accordion Player," headlines 16th Annual San Diego
Sicilian Festival
The Sicilian Festival is proud to announce this year's headliner, the world-famous accordionist virtuoso, Dick Contino. Billed as the "world's greatest accordion player," Contino appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show a record 46 times! Contino continues
to perform regularly throughout the United States. His repertoire is eclectic, ranging from Italian melodies such as Come Back to Sorrento and Arriverderci Roma, to his famed renditions of Lady of Spain and Swinging on a Star.
You won't want to miss Dick Contino's first San Diego appearance, on stage LIVE at the 16th Annual Sicilian Festival starting at 3:00 pm on the stage at Cedar and India Streets.
ENTERTAINMENT LINE UP
STAGE-Cedar and India
Sponsored by Tarantino Sausages
10:00 am-11:30 am
Judy Ciotti & Friends will kick off the Festival with an exciting line up of tunes from the Italian American repertoire. You'll love Judy's renditions of dozens of songs made popular by such stars as Connie Francis and others.
12:00 NOON
Sicilian Flag Procession
Beginning at noon, an entourage of beautifully costumed Paesani will raise the Sicilian and other flags of Italy in an exquisite flag procession through the streets of San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood. Representatives from San Diego's Italian Organizations will also be on hand to join in the festivities. Have your cameras ready for this colorful parade through the streets of Little Italy!
The nationally-acclaimed Roman Holiday Ensemble will delight the crowds with their high-energy, audience interactive shows. This ensemble has gained world-wide recognition with the success of their CD, The Italian Wedding, and appears at festivals and corporate events across the nation.
1:30 pm
Balboa Park ITALIAN DANCE TROUPE
Always a favorite at the Festival, the Italian Dance Troupe of Balboa Park will perform a variety of lively Italian and Sicilian dances to delight the crowds..
1:50 pm--2:45 pm
ROMAN HOLIDAY continues with A MUSICAL TOUR OF ITALY AND SICILY. Put on your dancing shoes and join us in a lively tarantella!
3:00-4:00 pm
HEADLINER DICK CONTINO
The Sicilian Festival is proud to announce this year's headliner, the world-famous accordionist virtuoso, Dick Contino. Billed as the "world's greatest accordion player," Contino appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show a record 46 times! Contino continues to perform regularly throughout the United States. His repertoire is eclectic, ranging from Italian melodies such as Come Back to Sorrento and Arriverderci Roma, to his famed renditions of Lady of Spain and Swinging on a Star.
4:15-6:00 pm
Peter Pavone, accompanied by the Roman Holiday jazz ensemble Avanti, will round out this special day with a variety of smooth renditions of Sinatra, Bennett, Dean Martin, and other beloved melodies in the Italian American repertoire.
STAGE-Beech and India
Sponsored by Peroni Beer
10:00 am-11:30 am
Z-Bop
The exciting and versatile Z-Bop Band will will open the Festival with their renditions of Italian American dance music as well as other swinging sounds of the decades.
11:45 am-1:45 pm
The Sicilian Band
Enjoy the authentic Sicilian sounds of Tony and his Los Angeles-based band, featuring lively vocals and a wide range of Sicilian and Italian music.
2:00 pm & 3:30 pm
FEATURED GUEST ARTIST
The Sicilian Festival is proud to welcome the nationally-acclaimed Alessandra Belloni,who is the only woman in the United States and in Italy specializing in the Southern Italian tambourine style together with the singing and the dancing that is so much a part of the heritage of this region. “RHYTHM IS THE CURE” is her one woman show featuring voice and percussion. Her fiery “percussive journey” through the South of Italy will highlight the dance and rhythm, magic rituals, tarantellas used as music therapy and exorcism, healing chants in honor of the Black Madonna, lullabies, love ballads, and work chants from Sicily, Calabria and Naples.
Alessandra's tarantella performance is at 2:00 pm and she will conduct a one-hour workshop at 3:30 pm.
3:00 pm
Pasta Eating Contest sponsored by
Little Italy Spaghetteria
4:30 pm-6:00 pm
Open Mike Featuring the Musician of Little Italy
STAGE-Date and India
f10:00 am-11:30 noon
Al Marchese & the Diplomats of Jazz
Al Marchese, son of famous Sicilian American tenor Victor Marchese, will entertain the Sicilian Festival crowd from 10 am-noon on the Date Street Stage with his jazz ensemble.. Learn more about his famous father Victor at the booth in the Cultural Pavilion.
Noon -2:30 pm
Sicilian Swing
Direct from New Orleans, where his band Sicilian Swing jump jived and wailed for many years, comes Daniele Spadavecchia, accompanied this year by his local gypsy band thanks to the sponsorship of dentist Evelyn Ascough. Check him out at the corner of India and Date Streets from noon until 2:30 pm! Listen to his hot renditions of all the Italian favorites....Louie Prima style.
2:45 pm-4:30 pm
The Sinatra Guy
The SINATRA GUY will entertain you with his beautiful renditions of Sinatra's best,as well as other favorite tunes from other notable Italian American vocalists from the '50s-'60s. He'll be on stage starting at 3 pm.
5:00-6:00 pm
The Pizarro Brothers
The Pizarro Brothers, Dominic (age 12) and Angelo (age 9), have both been playing classical piano since the age of 3 1/2. Their repertoire includes works by Chopin, Bach, Beethoven, Clementi, Schubert, Schuman, Mozart and Diabelli.
The brothers have been performing for many venues around San Diego, including Little Italy's Anthology, and this will be the second of hopefully many more appearances at the Sicilian Festival.
Roman Holiday's Strolling Performers & Street Musicians
Roman Holiday's many strolling musicians will entertain the crowds as they stroll through the streets with their colorful costumes and lively Italian/Sicilian music.
Italian Courtyard-
1624 India Street
11:00 am & 2 pm shows
Jim Bianchi and his ensemble, which features the acclaimed vocalist Delynn Ketcherside, will present a repertoire of Italian and operatic melodies that fit perfectly into the lovely ambiance of the Simply Italian courtyard. You will feel as if you were in a courtyard in Venice, so stop by and escape into another world in the enchanting courtyard of Simply Italian..
12:00-1 pm
Soprano Monique Caron will serenade visitors to the courtyard with a selection of Italian classical songs.
1:00 pm-1:45 pm
4:45 pm-6:00 pm
Accordion Sensation Smilin Jack will serenade visitors to the courtyard with his wide repertoire of Italian and popular melodies.
IN MEMORIAM
The Sicilian Festival family lost one of its most beloved entertainers this year, Charles Fortunato. Charles delighted visitors to the courtyard with his melodious voice and the touching stories of his youth growing up in an Italian household. The photo below shows him performing to an adoring crowd at last year's Festival.
ROMAN HOLIDAY continues with A MUSICAL TOUR OF ITALY AND SICILY. Put on your dancing shoes and join us in a lively tarantella! 
Peter Pavone, accompanied by the Roman Holiday jazz ensemble Avanti, will round out this special day with a variety of smooth renditions of Sinatra, Bennett, Dean Martin, and other beloved melodies in the Italian American repertoire. 
Jim Bianchi and his ensemble, which features the acclaimed vocalist Delynn Ketcherside, will present a repertoire of Italian and operatic melodies that fit perfectly into the lovely ambiance of the Simply Italian courtyard. You will feel as if you were in a courtyard in Venice, so stop by and escape into another world in the enchanting courtyard of Simply Italian..
The Sicilian Festival is proud to announce this year's headliner, the world-famous accordionist virtuoso, Dick Contino. Billed as the "world's greatest accordion player," Contino appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show a record 46 times! Contino continues
Judy Ciotti & Friends will kick off the Festival with an exciting line up of tunes from the Italian American repertoire. You'll love Judy's renditions of dozens of songs made popular by such stars as Connie Francis and others. 
Enjoy the authentic Sicilian sounds of Tony and his Los Angeles-based band, featuring lively vocals and a wide range of Sicilian and Italian music.
Al Marchese, son of famous Sicilian American tenor 
The Pizarro Brothers, Dominic (age 12) and Angelo (age 9), have both been playing classical piano since the age of 3 1/2. Their repertoire includes works by Chopin, Bach, Beethoven, Clementi, Schubert, Schuman, Mozart and Diabelli.
Accordion Sensation Smilin Jack will serenade visitors to the courtyard with his wide repertoire of Italian and popular melodies. 
