Special to the Independent
The City of Everett hosted a ceremony to raise the Italian flag at City Hall and continued the celebration at Meadows Park on Saturday, Sept. 30, with a community event for all.
The event kicked off with a flag raising ceremony at Everett City Hall that included remarks from Mayor Carlo DeMaria; Arnaldo Minuti, consul general of Italy in Boston; State Rep. Joe McGonagle; along with an opening and closing prayer delivered by Rev. Khiet Dang Cao, St. Anthony’s Church.
The keynote speaker for the event was Everett resident Mrs. Maria Luisa Saraceni for her work in promoting the Italian culture through non-profit cultural organization Pirandello Lyceum. She also received the “Cavaliere Dell’Ordine Della Stella Della Solidarieta’ Italiana” from the President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarelia.
During the ceremony, Mayor DeMaria and City Councilor Al Lattanzi, on behalf of the entire City Council, presented proclamations to the Consul General of Italy in Boston Arnaldo Minuti, respectively, to proclaim the month of October as Italian American Heritage Month in the City of Everett.
Following the Italian flag being raised to fly high at City Hall, all in attendance were invited to join in a procession led by the North End Feast Band from City Hall, down Broadway, to Meadows Park where the festivities would continue. At the park, there was a variety of Italian food and espresso available for all to partake in, along with Italian music and activities to enjoy.
“While I enjoy all our cultural celebrations, I am sure it comes as no surprise to anyone that this celebration is one that is particularly close to my heart as a proud Italian American,” said Mayor DeMaria. “Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate the culture, heritage and contributions of Italian Americans with another wonderful community event for all.”
The event is in recognition of Italian American Heritage Month, which is celebrated throughout the month of October to recognize the achievements and cultural contributions of Italian Americans to the United States.
If you would like to know about all of the upcoming events we have planned, please visit cityofeverett.com/calendar/category/events/list. You can also follow our social media pages on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Facebook: /cityofeverettma and /mayorcarlodemaria. Instagram: @cityofeverettma and @mayorcarlodemaria. X (formerly known as Twitter): @Mayor_DeMaria. All are welcome to join us for the many exciting events we have planned.