Little Italy Days is coming back to Pittsburgh’s Bloomfield neighborhood for its 26th year, closing several blocks of Liberty Avenue starting Thursday, August 13, for four days of Italian food, live music, and a celebrity bocce tournament. The 2026 lineup includes a headline appearance from Joseph R. Gannascoli, who played Vito on The Sopranos, alongside 30 live music performances spread across three stages.
According to WPXI, festival producer Sal Ricetti said the event will feature Italian food vendors, celebrity bocce and three stages of live music. Ricetti’s outfit, Big Day Entertainment, has run Little Italy Days as a privately managed commercial event since 2012, when he took over full control after community organization funding for the festival lapsed, according to a Little Italy Days Community Report. Ricetti had booked musical acts for the festival since its founding in 2002.
Per the festival’s own event listing at littleitalydays.com, this year’s run spans Liberty Avenue from Ella Street to Gross Street, with hours set for Thursday, August 13 from 5 to 9 p.m.; Friday, August 14 and Saturday, August 15 from noon to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, August 16 from noon to 5 p.m. Gannascoli is scheduled for a question-and-answer and storytelling session on Saturday, August 15 at 3 p.m., and organizers are also selling VIP packages ranging from $19.95 to $34.95 that include shaded main-stage seating, a t-shirt, pizza and access to private restrooms. General street access to the festival remains free.
Opening Night Bocce and a Rivalry on the Line
Thursday’s festivities kick off at 6 p.m. with the annual Italians vs. Irish Celebrity Bocce Tournament, which brings local politicians and media personalities out to compete on courts set up along Liberty Avenue, per the festival’s event listing. The Irish team took home the trophy last year. Pittsburgh stars are expected to participate again this year, according to the event report cited by WPXI…