The 2023 Ferragosto Picnic: Fun, Food, Friendship, & Bocce

The annual AMHS Ferragosto Picnic was celebrated on Sunday, August 13, at Fort Ward Park in Alexandria, Virginia, from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. Approximately 40 AMHS members, friends, and family came together to celebrate a day of fun, food, friendship, and bocce. As in years past, there was an abundance of food, from antipasti, grilled kielbasa, pasta salads, potato salads, fresh fruit, and desserts, to be shared and enjoyed by all. Of course, no picnic celebrating Italy and its traditions would be complete without vino (Montepulciano d’Abruzzo, Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose); and birra (Peroni). Special thanks to Lucio D’Andrea for sharing his homemade limoncello, and to Maria D’Andrea-Yothers for sharing a bottle of Ole Smoky margarita-flavored moonshine which was acquired during a recent vacation in Tennessee. 

While the sun shined brightly, there was ample shade covering and pop-up canopies to keep attendees cool. Many thanks to all those who were able to join in a day of celebration. Special thanks to everyone who helped with set-up and tear-down. Fort Ward Park was once again the perfect setting for a day of celebration.

To find out more about the origins of Ferragosto, celebrated every year on August 15, and how it is celebrated, see 15th of August: origins and facts about the Italian Tradition of the “Ferragosto” | Visititaly.eu