The Adelaide Italian festival kicks off this weekend until November 10. Here's how CityMag recommends getting your taste of Italia.

For decades, the Adelaide Italian Festival has promoted Italian culture to the wider Adelaide community and encouraged third-generation Italians to embrace their heritage.

CityMag recently explored how Italian migrants shaped Adelaide’s food culture with a special visit to one of our reporter’s very own Zia Fulvia’s house for a plate of homemade gnocchi, and meatballs, and cotoletta and lasagna and salad in the spirit of a true Italian matriarch.

Zia Fulvia was one of the many Italian immigrants who came to South Australia after World War II, which was the largest wave of Italian migration due to the Australian massive immigration program.

First and second-generation Italian migrants faced prejudice when they joined Australian communities. Some, especially second-generation school students, were made to feel ashamed of their culture and traditions and didn’t want to speak the language. Things started to change at the same time as the White Australia Policy was revoked in 1973, but in the 70s the Italian migration flow started to dry out.

In 1976, the first Italian Festival in Adelaide was held with a parade of migrant families marching from Victoria Square to Elder Park and ending in a celebration in Rundle Mall.

Today, with plenty of Mediterranean eateries popping up, and a community of Italians louder and prouder than ever, we know there is plenty to celebrate in Adelaide’s pockets of Italy.

We know the free opening night street party always draws a crowd, and this year’s will fill out Festival Plaza with drinks, gelato and more on offer to open the festival this Friday, November 1. The festival is also branching out to the regions, with an event in the Barossa Valley called La Grade Gita on November 10, celebrating cycling and local food and wine.

But CityMag goes beyond the program highlights to choose our picks of the 2024 Italian Festival program for activities and dining to embrace the culture. So without further ado, Buon Appetito!

Amalfi Coast at Prospect Rd Studio

Paintelaide, an Adelaide paint and sip studio, is running sessions for the Adelaide Italian Festival out of their Prospect Studio. They have multiple sessions running across the weekends the festival is on, with options to paint the Amalfi Coast, a door to Tuscany, Sicily Flamingoes, Veneto Gondola or Capri lemons. A local artist will walk you through the painting process step-by-step and no experience is required. The ticket includes a two-hour session led by an artist, a take-home canvas, and all art supplies and glassware, but drinks and nibbles are BYO.

Cost: Tickets are $57, via Paintelaide
When: Nov 1 – 3 and Nov 9 – 10
Where: 120 Prospect Rd, Prospect SA 5082

Discovering flavours of Veneto 

Chef Luca specialises in contemporary Italian cooking and has collaborated with the Adelaide Hills Johnson Lodge, espira at Ashton and more.

After 25 years of experience as a chef in different countries and venues, Luca Guiotto has started a pop-up project called Aromi Dining, where the Veneto-born chef delivers private catering, cooking classes and tailor-made consultancies for hospitality venues. Organised with Radio Italiana 531, Luca will demonstrate how to prepare one of his favourite dishes in the Adelaide Central Market community kitchen. Enjoy a small sample of the dish and watch the award-winning chef at work.

Cost: Free
When: November 9, 11am ’til 12pm
Where: Adelaide Central Markets Community Kitchen

Live and Love the Italian Way – Photography Exhibition by John Callisto 

This photography exhibition celebrates the work of the late John Callisto, who passed away at the age of 53 in 2022. John was the third child of immigrant parents and his photography was a love letter to Italian culture. The exhibition shows 25 photographs taken in Puglia among other Italian destinations and at home in Rostrevor. Curated by his wife, Claudia Callisto, the goal of the exhibition is to honour John’s memory and hope that when he is remembered and people view his photographs, they see the Italian beauty he saw through his camera lens.

Cost: Free
When: November 10 12pm ’til 4:30pm
Where: Campbelltown Council Function Centre

Meet the Author: Laura Di Martino

Based on a true story, Laura Di Martino’s historical fiction book Cremona House – An Italian Migration Journey: 1905 – 1950 follows protagonist Carlo Bodoni, an Italian immigrant, and his journey to Adelaide in the 1920s. Carlo eventually becomes a successful businessman, building an ice cream business with his partner Luisa, but as the 1930s hit and there’s a threat of a second world war, Carlo is about to lose everything he’s worked for.

Author Laura will take visitors on a journey of Carlo’s life as she discusses her book this Adelaide Italian Festival.

Cost: Free, reserve tickets through the website
When: Wednesday, November 6 from 6pm until 7pm
Where: Park Holme Library located at Duncan Avenue, Park Holme 5043

Notte Degli Gnocchi at Midnight Spaghetti

We can always trust Midnight Spaghetti for an East End pasta fix. This picture: Jack Fenby

Get your hands dirty, the Italian way, at this year’s Notte Degli Gnocchi event at Midnight Spaghetti. Starting in the late afternoon on the Midnight Spaghetti balcony – upstairs at the Cranker on Grenfell Street – patrons can learn to make their own ricotta gnocchi, which includes the perfect pinch and roll method as the nonnis so effortlessly do. Although you won’t eat your homemade gnocchi at the event – patrons will take them home in a goodie bag along with exclusive recipes – you won’t go leave on an empty stomach as the Midnight Spaghetti team will provide share foods and a three-hour drinks package. Oh, and did we mention there are goodie bags?

Cost: $150 per person. Purchase tickets through the website.
When: Sunday, November 10 from 4:30pm
Where: Midnight Spaghetti located at 196 Grenfell Street, Adelaide 5000

Notte Milanese Northern Italian Dinner at Market & Meander

Executive Chef Gabriele Pezzimenti is originally from Bergamo, northeast of Milan, and has worked globally before moving to Adelaide in 2019.

When we spoke to Market & Meander’s Italian-born executive chef, Gabriele Pezzimenti, ahead of last year’s Adelaide Italian Festival, he told us the importance of coming together around the dinner table as he said people seem to “forget all their differences”.

“They naturally get to know each other around food, probably a good glass of wine, coffee at the end,” he told us.

Cost: $149 per person. Purchase tickets through the website.
When: Friday, November 8 from 5pm.
Where: Market & Meander located at 23-29 Market Street, Adelaide 5000