ISHPEMING — Those who made it to this year’s Italian Fest picnic did not leave disappointed.

Smiles and laughter were contagious throughout the Al–Quaal Recreational Area, and delicious Italian cuisine filled the stomachs of the thousands who attended throughout the day.

“This was probably one of the best years that we’ve ever had,” said Event Organizer Jim Bertucci, “we had a really big crowd, which made everybody happy. We went through all of our pasta and everything. The food is just fantastic and it went well.”

From year–round planning and fundraising to setting everything up, there’s a great deal of work to pull off the picnic every year.
But every person who contributes to the planning says it’s all worth it.

“The most fun part is watching all of the people enjoy it, especially the kids on the big slides and stuff like that,” added Bertucci, “watching their faces on the pony rides, it just makes the whole day.”

The picnic drew a lot of families this year, which made everyone with St. Rocco – St. Anthony very happy. They look to continue to make it an event for people from all different national backgrounds and ages to celebrate the Italian heritage as they get ready for next year.