Darwin Italian Festival

Get yourself down to Civic Park for a gastronomic tour of Italy.

From wood-fired pizza to  lesser-known regional delicacies, the biennial Darwin Italian Festival is a foodie paradise. 

The variety of dishes is as diverse as the regions of Italy they represent, according to committee member Paola McCarthy.

“There’s everything from bistecca, Italian steak and salsiccia, an Italian sausage from the Puglia region, to dishes like arancini or stuffed meat balls from Southern Italy,” she says.

“Seafood such as octopus and calamari showcase the distinct flavours of Italy’s Mediterranean regions and, of course, delicious Italian desserts like gelato and cannoli.”

McCarthy says the food appreciation lesson doesn’t have to stop there, with a line-up of grandmothers ready to demonstrate how to cook traditional Italian foods in your own home. 

Leave some space though if you’re signing up for the spaghetti eating competition, open to all brave adults and this year for the first time, kids under 12 in the ‘bambino’ category.

Darwin Italian Festival Sat 11 May | 12pm-1am | Civic Park, Darwin CBD | Free | italiansnt.com.au