CLINTON, Ind. — Clinton’s Italian heritage comes alive every Labor Day weekend with the annual Little Italy Festival, which stretches from the banks of the Wabash River downtown to the former Italian sector of the city on Ninth Street.

The 44th annual Little Italy Festival opens Friday and runs through Labor Day Monday.

“We want people to come and experience Italy,” said Cris Scott, co-chairwoman of publicity for the festival committee. “Take a walk in an Italian immigrant’s shoes.”

You can find everything from a heaping plate of spaghetti and meat balls to the old-time wine garden on Ninth Street. Adjacent to the winery is an Italian house, which is available for viewing.

The wine garden features a new array of souvenirs this year, including jewelry and wine-shaped bottles.

Scott said Saturday’s spaghetti cookoff on the south stage is one of the more popular events as tourists watch the contestants prepare dishes and arrange tables.

Spaghetti-eating, pizza-eating, meatball-eating, sausage-eating and costume contests are featured along with a celebrity auction.

The festival gets under way Friday night with the traditional parade that winds from the Italian section on Ninth Street to the festival grounds along the Wabash River. The parade features many Italian dancers, bands and groups.

There are food vendors galore on the festival grounds featuring various foods from Italy, Greece and other nationalities.

“I hear that we have a new vendor that is featuring salads and tortellini soup,” Scott said. “So there are some healthy alternatives.

But if you want the true Italian connection, it is there.

“There is something for everyone,” said Jamie Alabaugh, publicity co-chairwoman.

And you could get a chance to stomp grapes. Kellie Clem, queen of grapes and her court, will be leading the stomping, but you may get the opportunity too.

Rick and Myra Giovanni are this year’s re and regina, which is bestowed on a Clinton couple with Italian background. The Giovannis own and operate Karanovich-Giovanni Funeral Home.

The Four Seasons Fountain on the festival grounds has been refurbished, getting its first major facelift since it was installed in the late 1960s.

That area will be the site of some mosaic art pieces.

That fountain was the start of the festival. A Lions Club meeting in 1966 kicked around a planter idea for the end of Elm Street where the former Wabash River bridge once stood.

Several tourism ideas encompassing the Italian heritage and the coal mines were kicked around and the first Little Italy Festival became a reality.

The Little Italy Festival was a rousing success from the start and now draws about 80,000 to the community every Labor Day weekend.

The festival concludes with a fireworks display on Labor Day night.

“You may not have a connection to Italy, but you are honorary Italian while you are here,” Scott said.

LITTLE ITALY FESTIVAL

FRIDAY

6 p.m. EDT: Parade starts on North Ninth Street and goes to festival grounds along the Wabash River downtown.

7 p.m.: Mia Cvengos sings, welcomes and presentation of Re and Regina and queen of grapes on main stage.

8:30 p.m.: Italian Singers on main stage.

9-11 p.m.: MCM Band, main stage.

11 p.m.: Concessions close.

SATURDAY

All day: Spaghetti cookoff, south stage.

11 a.m.: All-school dancers, main stage.

11:30 a.m.: Grape stomping, main stage.

Noon: Little Feet Dancers, main stage.

12:30 p.m.: Spaghetti eating contest, main stage.

1 p.m.: South Vermillion Middle School cheerleaders, main stage.

1:30 p.m.: Mustache contest, main stage.

2 p.m.: Queen and court enter, main stage.

2:30 p.m.: Sausage eating contest, main stage.

3 p.m.: Grape stomping, main stage.

3:30 p.m.: Music for little foks; Bobbie Lancaster, main stage.

4:30 p.m.: Vickie West Dancers, main stage.

5-8 p.m.: Talent Showcase, south stage.

5:30 p.m.: South Vermillion High School dance team, main stage.

6 p.m.: John Hassler Cloggers, main stage.

7 p.m.: Zumba with Kelly, main stage.

8 p.m.: Italian Singers, main stage.

8:30 p.m.: LeDune and Reedy, main stage; Moon Dog, south stage.

9:30 p.m.: Trouble & Co., main stage.

11 p.m.: Concessions close.

SUNDAY

11 a.m.: All school dancers, main stage.

11:30 a.m.: Nancy Sauer Dancers, main stage.

Noon: Little Feet Dancers, main stage.

12:30 p.m.: Pizza eating contest, main stage.

1:30 p.m.: Energy Unlimited, main stage.

2 p.m.: Costume contest, main stage.

3:30 p.m. Grape stomping, main stage.

4 p.m.: Coon Holler Kids, main stage.

5:30 p.m.: Tumble Mania, main stage.

6 p.m.: Italian Singers, main stage.

6-8 p.m.: One After Me, south stage.

6:30 p.m.: Peter Carrera, main stage.

6:45 p.m.: Grape stomping, main stage.

7 p.m.: Italian Cooking School, main stage.

7:30 p.m.: Isaiah Pittman, sing and dance, main stage.

8 p.m.: Queen and court, main stage.

8:30 p.m.: Terry Lee Rockabilly Band, main stage.

11 p.m.: Concessions close.

SEPT. 7

11 a.m.: All school dancers, main stage.

Noon: Little Feet Dancers, main stage.

12:30 p.m.: Meatball eating contest, main stage.

1 p.m.: Grape stomping, main stage.

1:30 p.m.: South Vermillion High School cheerleaders, main stage.

2 p.m.: Hollywood Karaoke, main stage.

4 p.m.: Auction; duck winners announced, main stage.

5:30 p.m.: Grape stomping, main stage.

6 p.m.: Vickie West Dancers, main stage.

7 p.m.: South Vermillion High School dance team, main stage.

7:30 p.m.: Joyce Lighty Singers, main stage.

8:30 p.m.: Italian Singers, main stage.

9 p.m.: Trip to Italy drawing, main stage; Mia Cvengos sings, main stage; fireworks finale; concessions close