Festa Italiana: Is there a cannoli calling your name?

The big weekend question will be this: Do I enter the meatball-eating contest or the cannoli-eating contest?

Those contests, lots of food vendors, musical acts (saxophonist Joseph Vincelli, for one) and a vibrantly festive atmosphere will be a few of the attractions this Friday, Saturday and Sunday when the Zona Rosa complex once again hosts Festa Italiana. It’s the lively festival that celebrates both Kansas City’s ethnic history and all things connected with the fabulous country that gave us Sophia Loren, Marcello Mastroianni, Fellini, pizza, and Prada knock-offs.

The food is a big draw: Kansas City loves Italian food (there were small Italian restaurants listed in the city directories as far back as the 1900s), and maybe everything tastes better eaten to the musical soundtrack of the weekend, including  the Bronx Wanderers, the  Eurorhythms, and local Italian-American performers like Frank Cherrito, the Viviano brothers and Tony Antonucci.

The events kick off tomorrow — Friday, May 29 — at 5 p.m. in Zona Rosa’s Town Square, at 8640 N. Dixson Avenue and runs through Sunday, May 31. Admission is free

For more information about the event, click here..