Last year's Butler Italian Festival drew more than 25,000 people. Organizers hope this year's festival, which runs through Sunday in downtown Butler, will attract twice that many attendees.

The streets of downtown Butler will be awash in green, white and red this weekend as the Butler Italian Festival promises pleasant afternoons filled with Old-World cuisine, music and culture.

“You get a lot of that atmosphere when you come to something like this,” said Michael Dongilli, event organizer. “Overall, you're going to get that true Italian flavor, and I think people just warm up to that.”

Dongilli expects the festival will continue to grow. Last year, it drew more than 25,000. He said weather is always a key, but the current outlook is looking with mostly sunny skies throughout the weekend.

The festival runs Friday through Sunday in downtown Butler.

“Our goal is to try and double our attendance year to year. It looks like we can make that happen,” Dongilli said. “Everybody welcomes the festival being there.”Dongilli said the festival has also expanded. This year, there will be a second music stage, an added block of space and the children's vendors might expand their offerings of rides and games.While free admission is the biggest draw for people initially, once families experience what the festival is about, they're inspired to make return trips.

“It's really good wholesome family fun,” he said. “Italians are known for their friendship and their food, obviously, and their big emphasis of family and socialization.”Charmaine Fetterman, who serves as an events coordinator for the Sons and Daughters of Italy in Butler, said she has her own independent booth, but will also represent her organization.Fetterman sells Italian food based on her grandmother's traditional recipes.“My big thing is the rice balls, which is the arancini,” Fetterman said.Fetterman plans to also promote the club through a membership drive at her booth. She said the Butler Sons and Daughters of Italy is currently trying to revamp itself to coincide with changes in leadership. Fetterman's father, Paul

Fetterman, is the club's new president.“The club will be open. People are welcome to go down and take a look at it. Check out the hall and the bar,” Fetterman said. “I'll have applications at my booth.”Fetterman said the Italian Festival is the perfect opportunity for club members to express their goal of raising money to give back to the community.She and fellow Sons of Italy event organizer Kelly Codispot-Michalek are planning a golf outing in September.“This time next year, we are really hoping to have this club on the map,” Fetterman said. “It's a great little social club.”

Vince Tavocario, owner of the Natili restaurants in Butler, said he will have a booth outside Natili North Pizza.Tavocario is glad to see a cultural festival thrive downtown again.“Ever since I grew up, our ancestors who came from Italy, our grandparents, they always tried to maintain the culture of their home country,” Tavocario said. “No matter where you come from, you love your home country.”He said being surrounded by neighbors and music will be good for area residents.“There's so much negative feeling in this country today,” Tavocario said. “So, when you have something like this that celebrates life, love and music and food, what's better than that?”