Italians sure know how to throw a celebration, and the 2019 Griffith Salami Festival was no exception.
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Nonnas and Nonnos from around Australia came to try the local salami, and by all accounts it was molto bene.
A boisterous crowd of 1200 people came to Pioneer Park on Sunday for a rowdy afternoon of food, music, and considerable amounts of wine.
Couples danced the tarantella, and whatever they may have lacked in grace they more than made up for in enthusiasm.
An exhausted crew of volunteers worked to keep the crowd fed and well-plied with wine and beer, and local bands played all the greatest Italian classics.
It was the twentieth Festa delle Salsicce of its kind, and organiser Roy Catanzariti said this year's festival had been one of the liveliest so far.
"It just keeps getting bigger and bigger every year," he said.
"It started 20 year ago with 60 people, and now we've got 1200 people."
Mr Catanzariti said tickets had already sold out in late June, and there had been a waiting list 120 people long by the time August 25 swung around.
The salami competition was especially fierce this year, with 140 entrants from North Italy, South Italy, and Australia all jockeying for that coveted first place spot.
It was a brutally tough selection process, with 24 judges from Griffith and out of town judging on three criteria: taste, texture, and aroma.
Ultimately Griffith local Frank Sergi beat out the competition and emerged on top with his Southern Italian style salami, which blew away the judges with its lean and hot texture.
It was a good day for the Sergi clan, with Joe Sergi coming close behind on second place.
Accountant Roy Spagnolo proved he was good at more than crunching numbers by seizing equal second with his homemade salami.
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The judges said this year's pickings had been exceptional, due in part to the "ideal salami weather" Griffith has been having in recent months.
The salami festival marked the end of one wild Italian-themed weekend, which featured the Italian Festival, cultural events, and tours of the region's vineyards.
The salami festival is held each year in the last week of August to coincide with the end of the salami making season.
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Kenji Sato
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
Kenji Sato is a handsome journalist at The Daily Advertiser who enjoys writing flattering bios about himself in the third person. He can be contacted by email at kenji.sato@dailyadvertiser.com.au or by mobile on 0448 927 612.
