ABOUT US
Sunday 6 November, Westpac Stadium - From 9.30am to 5pm
The "Italian Festival in New Zealand" started in Wellington to celebrate Italian lifestyle. It was first organized by Club Garibaldi and the Italian Community in Wellington. Since its beginning, the Italian Festival has been warmly welcomed by Wellingtonians, who appreciated the food, wine and traditions expressed at the Festival.
In the past ten years, the Italian Festival went through amazing changes, growing exponentially, under the management of Antonio Cacace (La Bella Italia), Remiro Bresolin (Il Casino) and Jeff Kennedy (Caffe L'Affare), who supported Club Garibaldi with passion, until the Festival reached its highest point.
In 2010, the 16th Italian festival in New Zealand took place in the Westpac Stadium in Wellington, under the management of Antonio Cacace. More than 30 exhibitors showcased their goods at the Festival, including wine and food, fashion items, books, tiles and ceramics, interior design, jewellery, motorbikes, cars and tyres. All products on show were ‘Made in Italy’, just like the entertainment schedule of the day, which included Cooking Demonstrations, Fashion and Jewellery Shows, Dance Shows (Tarantella), Live Italian Music.
Every aspect of Italian lifestyle was highlighted at the Festival: holiday destinations, the latest in design, fashion and jewellery, art and culture, motoring, music, and of course an exquisite selection of food and drinks that make Italy so well known around the world, to taste and buy. More than 7,000 people participated to the event, making the first year of the Italian Festival at the Westpac Stadium so successful.
Antonio Cacace is the founder of La Bella Italia in Wellington. He created a unique concept: that of sharing with New Zealanders his passion for Italy and all Made in Italy products. Based on this concept, he started importing quality goods from Italy: he was the first to import Prosciutto di Parma to New Zealand and Australasia. Every day La Bella Italia (café, restaurant, shop) aims at educating clients to Italian Lifestyle, and organises CiboArte events, Tours to Italy, and is also a distributor of Italian goods in New Zealand. La Bella Italia has been awarded several prizes and acknowledgements for the quality of its products, of the food served and of the service provided.
“Antonio Cacace (left) with La Bella Italia’s executive chef Gabriele Cagnetta (right)”
