By Sarah Booth
Healesville will be hosting its second Festa di via Verde as part of the Yarra Valley’s celebration of Italian culture on Saturday, 16 November from 12-6pm at Green street.
Hosted by comedian Gabriel Rossi, the festival will coincide with the late afternoon arrival of theTarga Florio Australian Tribute which runs along River street.
Spectators can watch international drivers complete the time trials, or visit the mass gathering of car clubs for a ‘Show n Shine’.
Celebrity chefs Tobie Puttock and The Italianos from My Kitchen Rules will present Italian cooking demonstrations, while stalls will be serving Italian food and wine.
Children are well catered for too with family-friendly activities such as go-karts, foosball, kids cooking classes. There will also be a roving fire-eating and pizza dough acrobatics performer.
Musical entertainment includes Santa Taranta playing Pizzica, Tammurriata and Stornelli plus the well known traditional Italian Ballard singer Dean Canan.
Bella Ciao will be playing their Italian repertoire on accordion and bass, while a squeezebox circle will entertain the crowds with traditional music throughout the day.
Festa di via Verde kicks off Ciao Yarra Valley Ciao festival which is a two-week celebration of all things Italian.
Visitors can expect a huge showcase of Italian food, wine, entertainment and themed events across the entire Yarra Valley region from 15 November to 1 December.
For more information, visit https://ciaoyarravalleyciao.com.au
