The Heinz History Center’s Bocce Tournament & Festival brought competition, Italian food and community spirit to Acrisure Stadium’s South Plaza on Aug. 8.
Forty four-person teams competed in a double-elimination bocce tournament while spectators gathered to cheer them on, listen to live music and enjoy Italian fare from Common Plea Catering. The free event also included a Kids Zone, where families could try bocce and other yard games on the turf.
While the tournament had plenty of friendly competition, the event centered on camaraderie. Bocce has long been a social tradition for Italian American families in western Pennsylvania, where the game offered immigrants a way to preserve customs, language and connections to their heritage. The annual festival keeps that tradition visible through food, music and the simple ritual of gathering around a bocce court…