Eldorado Great Italian Festival

For the 37th year, the Eldorado is bringing the sights, sounds and flavors of Italy to downtown 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 6 & 7 in Downtown Reno. 

Festival Times

October 6, Saturday - 10am to 6pm
October 7, 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 – Located on 4th Street; beginning 12:30pm each day; $5 for pasta
• Wine Walk – Located on the Event Plaza East of the Eldorado; 12 to 4pm each day; $50 for two days, $30 for one day; purchased day of the wine walk (no pre-sale)
• Grape Stomp – Located on the Event Plaza South of the Eldorado; sign-ups for families on Saturday beginning at 10am at the Grape Stomp Stage
• Gelato Eating Contest – Only on Sunday, 3pm; located at the Grape Stomp Stage; age groups 5-11; families only need to show up at 3pm. No pre-registration required.

Entertainment Schedule

Rome Stage
4th & Virginia Street

Saturday

10:30am-12pm Moreno Fruzzetti
12:30-2pm Ray Massa’s Eurorhythms
2:30-4:pm Aaron Caruso
4:30-6pm Mbrascatu  

Sunday
9:30-11am Tre Bella
11:30am-1pm Mbrascatu
1:30-3pm Elio Scaccio
3:30-5pm Capuano n' T Rock (Direct from Italy)

Venice Street
3rd & Virginia Street

Saturday
10-11:30am Elio Scaccio
12-1:30pm Capuano n' T Rock (Direct from Italy)
2-3:30pm Tre Bella
4-5:30pm Ray Massa’s Eurorhythms

Sunday
10-11:30am Primo Basso
12-1:30pm Moreno Fruzzetti
2-3pm Ray Massa’s Eurorhythms
3:30-5pm Aaron Caruso