By Tom Leyde

Festa Italia is about food. It's about music. It's about commercial fishing. It's about family. It's about life and love. The 83rd version of the annual festa had its finale Sunday in Custom House Plaza. Those who attended did just what the festa program suggested: "eat, drink and be Italian."

For Italian/Sicilian families on the Monterey Peninsula who put on the event, it's a time to celebrate their history and share their culture with others. It began in 1933 when Monterey fishermen gathered for the Santa Rosalia Fishermen's Festival. Saint Rosalia is the patron saint of Palermo, Sicily. The event continues the tradition of a Mass followed by a procession to the wharf, where the fishing fleet is blessed.

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Source: http://www.montereyherald.com/