Italian Street Festival sets up shop at raceway

There's more to Richmond's Original Italian Street Festival than the street itself. That's a good thing, since this year's festival won't actually be on a street.

After four years of spreading across the city's Church Hill neighborhood, the festival is moving to the more spacious -- and parking-friendly -- grounds of the Richmond Raceway Complex in Henrico County. The Horticultural Gardens will be transformed into an Italian village street scene, complete with many of the delightful aromas and dazzling sights you'd hope to find.

"We're just trying to bring the culture we inherited from our grandparents and share it," said Virginia Hudert, a member of the Italian-American Cultural Association, one of three co-sponsors of the event.

As always, the event will feature plenty of live music, fresh food and activities that bring to life the culture of Italy.

"We're going to eat and dance and sing and have a good time," said Hudert, who is busy this week putting the finishing touches on the festival's cultural offerings.

The switch from the city to the county should be a good thing, she said. The complex has plenty of free parking, something that had been in short supply as the festival grew into a major undertaking on the already crowded streets of Church Hill.

Plus, with an open area, organizers can create the scene they want for the thousands of visitors instead of working one into an existing neighborhood, she said.

The big concern, she said, is luring people to the event on a full weekend. With the Folk Festival and the Festival of India going on downtown, she said, the Italian Festival is going to have to work hard. But she said they are ready for the challenge.

"You could go to all three," she said. "It just depends on what kind of culture you want."

Contact Zachary Reid at (804) 775-8179 or .