Desert Arc Brings Italy to Rancho Mirage, Celebrating All Things Italian!

The 6^th Annual Italian Festival is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, November 12^th & 13^th from 10am to 4pm in Rancho Mirage at the Rancho Mirage Community Park. Free general parking and shuttles are located at the River. Desert Arc hosts over 40 vendors. This will include some of the Valley’s favorite Italian restaurants and the best Italian food vendors from out of town. There will be plenty of shopping available at specialty merchandise and craft vendors. The Festival will open Saturday at 10am. A stirring rendition of the Italian National Anthem by the Desert Arc Choir with special guests will get the Main Stage entertainment underway. MC Joey English, the “Voice of the Desert”, will host non-stop entertainment that features performances by many of the festival favorites as well as some engaging new performers. Festivalgoers can experience or join in with the Tarantella, a folk dance of Italy. Also, joining the main stage this year is Celebrity Chef Gino Campagna. Chef Gino is a feature of the hit A&E show “Born This Way”. He will be hosting food competitions and cooking presentations throughout the festival.

A new addition is the Mercato. You will find available for purchase authentic Italian products in the marketplace and see food demonstrations such as pasta making, olive oil tasting and so much more!

Come on out and enjoy “La Dolce Vita” with all of the rich culture and traditions of Italy!

General Admission is $10. VIP Ticket is $50 and includes entrance to the VIP lounge plus amenities. Kids 10 and under are free.  Free parking and free shuttle from the River. We expect to welcome 3-5,000 attendees.

For more information about the Italian Festival, visit Desert Arc’s website www.desertarc.org or call (760) 346-1611.

Desert Arc is one of the largest and oldest non-profit agencies in the Coachella Valley.  Now in its 57^th year, Desert Arc provides social services, vocational training and employment opportunities for 700 adult clients with disabilities.  Desert Arc’s main campus is in Palm Desert with a satellite facility in Yucca Valley and a major Recycling Center in Indio.  Desert Arc’s mission is to “Enhance the quality of life and create opportunities for people with disabilities”.