SAVE THE DATE: THE BELLA ITALIA MARKET IS COMING DECEMBER 1-2, 2018, AT CASA ITALIANA

By Nancy DeSanti

The Bella Italia Market, a project to raise funds for the Casa Italiana Sociocultural Center, will take place on December 1- 2, 2018 at Casa Italiana.

Here’s your chance to purchase quality Italian products and services under one roof, while helping support Casa Italiana as it expands its cultural and heritage programs.

Casa Italiana will be transformed into an exciting marketplace of fine Italian products, including specialty foods, ceramics, art, fashion, accessories, books, travel and other services, and much more. Celebrate Italian excellence and creativity in a lively market spirit!

AMHS is one of the event’s sponsors and two of our members - Nancy DeSanti and Anna Isgrò - are part of the planning committee. The National Italian American Foundation (NIAF) is also a sponsor.

Would you like to help sponsor the Bella Italia Market, as an individual or a business? Do you know an importer or producer of fine Italian products who would like to be a vendor? Please email requests for more information to: bellaitaliamarket@yahoo.com.

Would you like to volunteer to help with planning? Please email bellaitaliamarket@yahoo.com or contact Nancy DeSanti. So far, AMHS members Peter Bell, Maria D’Andrea-Yothers, Sarah Scott, Cecilia Fiermonte, Maria Marigliano and Liz DiGregorio have stepped up to help, but more volunteers are needed.

Aside from supporting the promotion of Italian programs and projects, including the new Italian American Museum, the Bella Italia Market’s creator, fashion designer Franca Bartoli, envisions it as a resource for importers of Italian products and services, particularly smaller, niche-market Italian businesses, wishing to establish a presence in the U.S. market. So far, a significant number of quality vendors have registered for the market and/or expressed a serious interest in participating.