Linda Bell makes a practice throw during Bloomfield’s Little Italy Days on Saturday, Aug. 18.

By Jamie Kelly, Bulletin editor
After recently receiving official recognition as a Registered Community Organization, Bloomfield Alliance is hoping to spread positive memories of the neighborhood during the upcoming Little Italy Days.
During the group’s quarterly meeting in July, the group discussed its plans for the annual event, which takes up part of Liberty Avenue through the neighborhood.
“We know Little Italy Days is coming, whether you like it or not, and we’re trying to institute a few new programs,” Linda Vacca, a board member, said during the meeting. “We’ve invited the Heinz History Center up to speak about the italian heritage (in Bloomfield).”
Among the guests will be Steven Mancini, the honorary Consul of Italy for Pittsburgh. Mancini is a Bloomfield native.
The group is also putting on an event titled “Bloomfield Memories Hour.” People are invited to share their favorite happy or funny memories of Bloomfield, and at 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug, 16, there will be an hour dedicated to sharing those stories.
Vacca said the group hopes to do even more.
“We’re also working with the Heinz History Center to document more of the Bloomfield Italian heritage,” she said. “We’re reaching out to some of the older people before we lose them, to be interviewed in person and and, you know, just to document the history and document the demolition of the Italian Catholic Church in our neighborhood.”
Other plans include inviting neighborhood groups who haven’t been participating in Little Italy Days to set up a table as a way to make sure the connection to the neighborhood’s history endures.
Little Italy Days schedule set
Little Italy Days is set to take place across four days: Thursday, Aug. 14 through Sunday, Aug. 17. There will be more than 30 acts performing during the long weekend.
One of the most popular events is the bocce tournament. If you’d like to enter a team, email littleitalydaysbocce@gmail.com or call 412-480-5918 or 412-600-5702 for details. The entry fee is $150 per team. The tournament will be double elimination and begins at 10 a.m. Saturday and continues Sunday morning at 9.
There will also be a celebrity bocce tournament at 6:30 p.m. Thursday pitting those of Italian heritage against those of Irish heritage.
For more information about Little Italy Days, visit litleitalydays.com.