Sea Isle City’s 2011 Columbus Day Parade and Italian Festival Delighted Thousands of Spectators

SEA ISLE CITY – On Oct. 8, Sea Isle City’s rich Italian history was honored in grand style during the resort’s 21st Annual Columbus Day Parade and 4th Annual Italian Festival. Thanks to ideal weather conditions – and many exciting attractions – a record number of spectators lined the parade route along Landis Avenue and attended the festival on 63rd Street.
As is always the case, Sea Isle’s Columbus Day Parade included a wide-variety of participants, including the Ocean City High School Marching Band, representatives from Sea Isle’s Italian-American Club and many residents and visitors of Italian descent. The parade also included antique vehicles, fire engines, children donned in clever costumes, and floats teaming with representatives from local organizations.
Among the parade’s many highlights was a charming float created by the Sea Isle Ambulance Corps, which featured brothers Nicholas, 5, and Joseph Rutledge, 6, and their cousin, Bella Steelman, 6. The float’s theme was “Stompin’ the Grapes,” and each child onboard sported wine-stained feet while sitting amid barrels under a grape arbor.
Mayor Leonard Desiderio also participated in the parade, accompanied by several regional officials, including County Clerk Rita Marie Fulginiti, Sheriff Gary Schaffer and other members of the County Sheriff’s Department (such as Dodge the Horse and mascots Eddie the Sheriff’s Eagle and McGruff the Crime Dog). State Senate candidate David DeWeese and Republican 1st District Assembly candidates Suzanne Walters and Samuel Fiocchi were in the parade as well, as were Miss Cape May County Jennifer Taylor and many local business owners and officials.
Several prominent Italians from the community made up the parade’s “Royal Italian Family,” including Italian-American Man and Woman of the Year Ted Pugliese and Marianne Penecal-McFadden, Queen Marie Troilo Petrik, 12, Princess Antonella D’Antonio, 4, and Prince Michael Romano, Jr.
After the parade, many spectators made their way to the Italian Festival, which was already underway on 63rd Street. Co-sponsored by KIX-McNutley’s and LaCosta Lounge Night Clubs, this year’s festival was the largest to date. In addition to vendors selling collectibles and a bevy of other items at the event’s Italian Market, festival-goers also enjoyed live music, free raffles and many other activities.
Naturally, there was a tempting selection of Italian food and other delicacies available during the festival. One of the local food vendors in attendance was Michael DeNunzio of DeNunzio’s Brick Oven Pizzeria, who sold cannolis to raise funds for breast cancer research. According to DeNunzio, who was also this year’s Columbus Day Parade Grand Marshall, for every cannoli sold his family donated $1.00 to the Karen Mullen Breast Cancer Foundation. The DeNunzios also donated 10% of that day’s overall sales to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation’s “Slice of Hope” program.
New to this year’s Italian Festival was an exciting Cannoli-Eating Contest, which had eight sweet-toothed contestants ingesting dozens of cannolis as quickly as possible. In the end, as a large crowd of spectators cheered from underneath the festival’s main tent, Andy Giordano, of Upper Township, and Ken Baldini, of Sea Isle City, tied for first place and shared the title “Primo Cannoli Eating Champion.”
In addition to other activities, including the chance to win one of several Cento gift baskets provided by Savona-Stavola Food Distributors, the festival also included a professional cooking demonstration and lecture, led by Chef Mark Kalla, of the Culinary Institute of America. During his presentation, Kalla shared cooking tips while preparing Stuffed Artichokes, Fresh Fettuccini Semolina and Shrimp Milano. Afterwards, recipes for each dish were distributed to on-lookers.
“It was a great day with perfect weather – and the parade and the festival were great successes that had everyone smiling,” said organizer Carmela Desiderio.
For additional information about other events taking place in Sea Isle City, visit www.seaislecitynj.us.