Vancouver's historic Little Italy neighbourhood on Commercial Drive will be decked out in il Tricolore and all things from the European nation this weekend.
That's because Italian Day on the Drive returns Sunday, June 8, 2025, for a full day. This year's theme is Mille Baci, or 1,000 kisses.
"Commercial Drive comes alive in the style of Italy’s vibrant streets and piazzas, drawing hundreds of thousands of attendees of all ages and cultures," reads the event's website.
The 14-block festival will take over the Drive from Venables Street to the Grandview Highway (just north of Broadway and the SkyTrain tracks).
Over those 14 blocks will be food trucks, local vendors, live entertainment (including street opera), and patios. Grandview Park will be turned into a "classic piazza." There's also going to be a children's zone, human foosball, and other games.
And, of course, there'll be pasta-eating contests (for kids and adults).
The festival honours the history of Italian immigrants in Vancouver. In the 1940s and 1950s, Commercial Drive transformed into an Italian enclave, and several cultural celebrations and street parades were held until the 1980s. On July 11, 1982, Italy won the World Cup in football (soccer) and locals held the final Italian Day of that era to mark the occasion.
Italian Day on the Drive
When: Sunday, June 8, 2025, from noon to 8 p.m.
Where: Commercial Drive from Venables Street to Grandview Highway.
Cost: Free to attend.
With files from Lindsay William-Ross.
