The 85th Annual Festa Italia Fisherman’s Festival saw thousands of people walking in and out of the Custom House Plaza to celebrate Italian heritage with music, wine, food and of course, some bocce. The bocce courts were busy all day Saturday as dozens of teams competed in the annual Santa Rosalia Bocce Cup Tournament.
Anthony Astone has been playing bocce competitively for the past 15 years and it’s his seventh year coming to Monterey to play in the tournament. He was representing Dante Club of Fresno, which has an 18-team league that usually plays on Thursdays. The 36-year-old Fresno native said playing bocce helps keep Italian heritage alive in his hometown.
