Warren Italian American Festival © 2013. All Rights Reserved

​Website design Geoffrey Fusco

Between 1890 & 1924, Italian immigrants flocked to Ohio’s Mahoning Valley. The area’s burgeoning iron & steel industries beckoned with job prospects for immigrants fleeing southern & Eastern Europe—particularly from Southern Italy, a region that at the time lacked opportunity & highly taxed its natives. Upon the arrival of these new residents, neighborhoods such as Youngstown’s Smoky Hollow & Brier Hill offered accepting communities, & Niles Fire Brick Factory Company & Trumbull Blast Furnace provided employment. Assimilation was not always easy, & discrimination occurred, but Italian Americans ultimately prospered, making a mark not only as steelworkers but also as shopkeepers, grocers, restaurateurs, tradesmen, educators, doctors, lawyers, legislators, & mayors. Read the book that explores the immigration experience, community, workplace dynamics, celebrations, worship, heritage, & lasting impact of the second-largest ethnic group in Ohio’s Mahoning Valley.Available at Amazon

​​Our purpose is to share and perpetuate our Italian heritage with the community through cultural exhibits, ethnic food and entertainment.   We are a volunteer, 501(C) 3 organization.  Except for donations from our corporate sponsors, our committee pays for everything.  The $3.00 donation  helps defray our expenses  which include, but are not limited to, permits and fees paid to the city of Warren, security, entertainment, stage, sound & lights, tables, chairs & tents, printing and advertising, clean up, electricians, utilities, equipment and office rental. 

We also contribute back to the community through donations to organizations such as Relay for Life, Make A Wish, Harding Band and Warren JFK Cheerleaders. This year we awarded five - $1,000.00 scholarships to area students. 

​Warren Italian-American Festival