An opportunity to sample Italian culture

The Central Coast Italian Festival at Ettalong will be an opportunity to experience Italian culture, sample Italian wines and beer and taste fine Italian cuisine.

This year's festival will be held at the Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort on Saturday and Sunday, April 9 and 10.

Tiramisu tasting, gelato gulping or pasta pig-outs are being promoted as among the ways to sample Italian cuisine at the annual festival.

The Tiramisu Tasting Competition will be a new attraction at the 2016 festival.

Local restaurants will line up their samples of Italy's favourite desert to compete for the award of Best Tiramisu.

For those who miss out, the regular Pasta Eating and Gelato Licking competitions will also be held.

Stalls are expected to fill the piazza with authentic home-cooked Italian foods such as pasta, piadina and pizza plus cannoli, crostoli and cucidati.

The Mediterranean-inspired resort contains a boutique motel, the Cinema Paradiso complex with seven theatres decorated in Italian and Art Deco themes.

The complex also houses a bustling European-style village market with fresh produce, locally-made crafts and cafes, including a coffee roaster touted to produce what many locals report is the best coffee on the Central Coast.

Ten restaurants surround the exterior of the resort, offering Italian, Spanish, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Turkish and Australian cuisine.

An Italian State Tourism representative will provide a presentation and tips on travel in Italy.

An Italian art and photography display will be showcased on the grand staircase in Piazza Giulietta.

A collection of Italian cars will line up for viewing.

Italian fashion, jewellery and accessories will be available for sale from market stalls.

Ettalong's very own "Michael Angelo" will be on site with paintbrush in hand, adding to the collection of Italian Renaissance art found throughout the resort.

Italian singers George Vumbaca and Sam Pellegrino will entertain.

Children's entertainment will include the Punch and Judy and Pinocchio Puppet Shows, as opportunities to pat Benny the donkey and the Italian breed of Maremma dogs.

The Italian Festival is an all-weather event.

Media release, 15 Feb 2016

Alexandra Quinn, Ettalong Beach Tourist Resort