Cuisine draws visitors to Butler’s Italian Days
From cannoli to lasagna, it was the cuisine that brought people to downtown Butler Saturday, Aug. 29, for the second and final day of the second annual Butler Italian Days.
The event was scheduled to take place from 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday on Main Street between Wayne and Cunningham streets.
Jim Sferra and Janet Herding, from Cranberry Township, said the weather was great, and the food was excellent.
Herding enjoyed a generous portion of homemade lasagna, while Sferra had meatballs.
“Fantastic,” Sferra said of his food.
“He’s 100% Italian,” Herding said.
Tina Poore, of West Middlesex Township in Mercer County, came with her son, Brooks, to check out the food and activities, and to “walk and explore.”
After indulging in some burgers, she said they were going to look for cannoli and tiramisu.
Poore said she has family in Butler, but this was the first time she came to the Italian Days event.
Peggy Aurin, of Pittsburgh, and Joann Lindsey, of Allison Park, said they are Italian, but Saturday was their fist visit to Italian Days.
They were cooling off in the shade at Diamond Park after enjoying hot sausage sandwiches.
“Now we’re looking for the cannoli,” Lindsey said.
Aurin said they come to Butler often to shop at Boscov’s, and this was their first time at the Italian Days.
Food, wine and beer and craft vendors were set up Main Street and East Diamond Street as accordionist Pat Septak performed in Diamond Park.
Children played miniature golf while a bocce ball tournament was playing out in the NexTier Bank parking lot. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit Butler Senior High School’s Unified Bocce and Track teams.
The “kids corner” featured games, crafts, face painting and more.
An all-day bingo was held at the Sons and Daughters of Italy Lodge on South Main Street. A winner-take-all jackpot was held at 5:30 p.m.
Main Street would be closed between Wayne and Cunningham streets for the event.
