WORCESTER, Mass. – Preparations are underway for a weekend of celebrating in Worcester with both the Shrewsbury Street Italian Heritage Parade and the Worcester Armenian Festival happening.
Dozens of groups and floats will be parading down Shrewsbury Street for the Italian Heritage Parade this Sunday at noon. Organizers are hoping for a great day as the annual parade continues to grow.
“I’m looking forward to seeing all the people,” Grand Marshal Joseph Falcone said. “Hoping, as time progresses, this parade gets bigger and bigger to celebrate the Italian heritage.”
The Shrewsbury Street Italian Heritage Parade Grand Marshal and parade Mayor are looking forward to a day of celebrating Worcester’s proud Italian heritage.
“It’s very much an honor to be mayor of the parade,” parade Mayor Dianna Biancheria said. “And it certainly is a great thrill, my dear friend as the grand marshal, Joe Falcone.”
“The culture is really Shrewsbury Street,” Falcone said. “All the old Italians, they still associate with the clubs and the red wine and the cigars.”
Joseph Falcone and Worcester School Committee member Dianna Biancheria said everyone is welcome to Shrewsbury Street on Sunday for the parade starting near Belmont Street at noon and ending down at Washington Square.
“We are extremely diverse, but we like to celebrate what the Italian heritage is each year,” Biancherias said. “This is our fourth year that will be coming down as the Italian Heritage Parade. We had a few years where we had a lull. And I look forward to being the mayor. And the mayor works to not only promote the Italian Heritage, but promote the day. The day of the parade will have different amusements, for the kids with the restaurants open and looking forward to marching down Shrewsbury Street.”
Another group in the city will be celebrating their culture this weekend as well at the Worcester Armenian Festival on Salisbury Street.
“This is the oldest Armenian church,” Rev. Fr. Tadeos Barseghyan said, “the first Armenian church in America, 1891.”
Fr. Tadeos Barseghyan and his church are inviting the public to their two-day festival of music, food, and learning about Armenian culture.
“When you have a rich culture full of flavors and traditions, you want to share that with others. We would like to invite the general public to come and enjoy our festival,” Barseghyan said. “We have great flavors, of course, great food here, but also celebration of our heritage and our culture. We are one of the biblical nations, old nations, one of the oldest Christian nations too. So, we would like to share all of the richness of our culture and tradition with our friends and with our city.”
The Armenian Festival will be Saturday and Sunday with the Italian Heritage Parade on Sunday as well.