The morning dawns and it’s not long before you become aware of the wonderful aroma in the air. It’s the kind of scent, an Italian one, explains Lenny Collini, that will remind you of your mama’s sauce cooking on a Sunday morning.

“It’s truly an incredible feeling,” says the Vandergrift resident of what it’s like in the borough on the day of Festa Italiana di Vandergrift, which this year is Aug. 12, when the food preparations begin early. It’s a day, he agrees, for everyone, regardless of their ethnicity, to be Italian.