Festa Italiana returns to San Francisco's North Beach this weekend celebrating the neighborhood and preserving the heritage of the community with food, music, shopping, and live entertainment. The San Francisco Italian Athletic Club Foundation organizes the street fair as a way to bring families together in a part of the city that has thrived thanks to the continued support of residents and visitors. "It's tradition, how to make the wine, how to make the food, that the explanation of every single dish, it was amazing," said Francesco Covucci about eating at North Beach Restaurant.
Covucci is now a partner and owner of the business and hopes to reopen the local landmark that operated in the neighborhood for more than 50 years before closing last December. He says it was the first restaurant he dined in after moving to the U.S.
and is grateful to be part of the team to restore it given its long history in North Beach. Organizers of the street fair say it is that kind of commitment to the neighborhood that keeps it going strong four years after the pandemic and the sense of community they want to celebrate this weekend. The love of Italian culture can be seen all around with crosswalks and street poles decorated in red, white, and green.
"We have to do something to keep North Beach Restaurant alive," Covucci told KPIX. One aspect of the neighborhood that has helped North Beach succeed in San Francisco is the diversity of businesses and organizations. Not just bars, restaurants, .
