10th Annual Little Italy Italian Street Festival Coming to Downtown San Jose October 4th

SAN JOSE, CA, UNITED STATES, October 1, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- San Jose, Calif., Sept. 30, 2026 -- One of the most popular downtown festivals in San Jose will celebrate its tenth anniversary on Sunday, October 4th, when thousands are expected to gather in San Jose’s Little Italy for the acclaimed Little Italy Italian Street Festival. Launched in 2016 and presented by the Little Italy San Jose Foundation, the annual event supports one of San Jose’s most historic and culturally distinct neighborhoods and business districts. This year will be extra special, with the unveiling of new urban placemaking art on the Rt. 87 overpass welcoming visitors, and a brand-new Italian and American car showcase. The 2026 festival is dedicated to Chris Bertucelli, owner of La Villa Delicatessen, who passed away earlier this year.

“Little Italy San Jose continues to rise, and I’m thrilled that the community will soon enjoy beautiful new art installations and gateway welcome signs at this year’s Festival, alongside fabulous food and wine, a car show, and live music,” says San Jose City Councilman Michael Mulcahy, himself part of the legendary DiNapoli family. “Congratulations to Josh Melander and the Little Italy board on 10 years of preserving and celebrating Italian heritage in this storied corner of downtown San Jose.”

Today’s Little Italy, cut off by Route 87 from its original footprint that stretched all the way to San Pedro Square, began to spring back to life in 2015, thanks in large part to Joshua DeVincenzi Melander, founder and president of Little Italy San Jose, who led a dedicated effort to rebuild the original Italian settlement neighborhood with a cultural center and authentic shops and restaurants. “Many people don’t realize that Little Italy’s roots go back to the Gold Rush,” says Melander. “Our festival helps reclaim that history by celebrating the vibrant culture and prominent Italian-Americans who had a lasting impact on our community.”

Food, Music, and More!

The Little Italy Festival opens at 11:00 a.m. and runs to 7:00 p.m. It’s a day filled with authentic Italian food, wine tasting, live music, and fun for all ages. As Melander notes, “It’s a great way to celebrate your Italian heritage, or just be Italian for a day!”

Visitors can sample Italian dishes from some of the Bay Area’s best Italian restaurants, including those in the heart of Little Italy. A Wine Garden will showcase a range of vintages from seven acclaimed wineries, including Guglielmo, V. Sattui, and J. Lohr, as well as DeVincenzi Cellars, located in the Santa Cruz Mountains (whose founder is both a cousin of the festival organizer and a Little Italy Foundation board member). Younger guests won’t want to miss the Little Italy train or the Arts & Crafts village!

Live music runs all afternoon, including jazz artist Vanessa Racci and world-class accordion artist Cory Pesatauro, who are flying in from the East Coast for special performances. Italian tenor and San Jose resident Pasquale Esposito headlines the festival; the day closes out with dance favorites from the Anthony Nino Lane Band.

Don’t Miss the Car Show!

One of the delights of the Little Italy Festival has always been its car show, and 2026 will be something special: not only will festival-goers have the chance to see world-class Italian automotive engineering up close, but they’ll also get to check out some American classics.

This year, Supercars of Italy, featuring Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and Italian motorcycles, will be joined by Goombah’s Car Club, showcasing American muscle cars—a nod to honorary Grand Marshall Chris Bertucelli, a much-loved member of the Italian-American community and the owner of La Villa Delicatessen in Willow Glen, who passed away in March. Bertucelli was an avid car aficionado and a member of Goombah’s Car Club.

This unique automotive collection is available to view anytime during the festival.

The Placemaking Art: A New Way to Welcome Visitors to Little Italy!

Festival guests will get a first look at new urban murals that now welcome visitors to Little Italy.
The artwork, located under the Highway 87 overpass, is part of the City of San Jose’s “Stitching Districts” initiative, which aims to connect distinct areas, creating a vivid and exciting urban core. Designed in collaboration with the local community and painted under the direction of local artist Roberto Romo, the murals showcase Italian history and cultural giant opera legend Irene Dalis, who made her mark on San Jose.

“These murals are not only stunning—they represent an important milestone in reconnecting the area from SAP Center to San Pedro Square,” says Lou Jimenez, San Jose Downtown Association’s Street Life Manager, who helped lead the intensely collaborative effort to make it all happen. Mayor Matt Mahan was a strong supporter, prioritizing resources to make this unique Little Italy artwork a reality.

A ceremonial unveiling of new murals welcoming visitors to Little Italy will take place on Friday, October 2.

Admission to the Little Italy Italian Street Festival is free!

All proceeds from the festival benefit the Little Italy Foundation and its efforts to add even more to this colorful corner of San Jose, including bocce ball courts and Italian flag crosswalks.

For more information about the Little Italy Italian Street Festival, including music schedule, directions, and parking info, visit https://www.littleitalysj.com/lisj-festival.

WHEN: Sunday. October 4, 2026
11:00 am - 7:00 pm open to the public
11:30 am - Opening Ceremony

WHERE: Little Italy District, San Jose
Intersection of Little Italy Way & Sharks Way, San Jose, Calif.

WHO: Joshua DeVincenzi Melander, President, Little Italy San Jose
Matt Mahan, Mayor of San Jose
Michael Mulcahy, San Jose City Councilmember District 6
Dave Cortese, California State Senator

DETAILS
One of the longest-established Italian-American community festivals, the Little Italy Festival was launched in 2016 and is presented by the Little Italy San Jose Foundation. The annual event supports one of San Jose’s most historic and culturally distinct neighborhoods and business districts.

Elisabeth Handler
PRxDigital
+1 (408) 599-9567
elisabeth@prxdigital.com
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