Eldorado Great Italian Festival

For the 38th year, the Eldorado is bringing the sights, sounds and flavors of Italy to the heart of Reno during the Eldorado Great Italian Festival. Held each year during Columbus Day weekend, the festival is a celebration of Italian culture and traditions and includes live entertainment, a sauce cooking contest and of course, pasta – lots of pasta. Don’t miss the Eldorado Great Italian Festival, October 12 & 13 in the heart of Reno. 

Festival Times

October 12, Saturday - 10am to 6pm
October 13, Sunday - 10am to 5pm

The Eldorado Great Italian Festival transforms downtown Reno into Little Italy with a grape stomp, wine walk, an Italian farmers market, food booths and incredible free, live entertainment all weekend long.

A crowd favorite year after year continues to be the Great Italian Festival Sauce Cook-off. Italian families from across the West Coast bring their recipes to life right on the street for guests to taste. People’s Choice ballots for favorite sauce will be given with the purchase of pasta.

No Italian Festival would be complete without plenty of homemade Italian food. Spectators are invited to “finire di mangia” – or “eat up” as the Italians say with plenty of delicious foods like chicken parmesan, spaghetti and meatballs, meat ravioli with Bolognese, tortellini Eldorado, Gnocchetti pesto, Italian sausage and peppers, fried ravioli, fried calamari and the ever-famous mushroom ravioli with porcini cream sauce. Complete your meal with a delicious dessert of homemade gelato, cannolis or Nutella ricotta Crespo, a sweet ricotta crepe with strawberries and Nutella drizzle.

Events to watch out for include:

• Pasta Sales for Tasting the Family’s Sauces 
• Wine Walk
• Grape Stomp
• Gelato Eating Contest