The Annual Italian American Festival in North Wildwood

The Italian American Festival is held annually in North Wildwood, New Jersey. The event is held during the month of June every year, although the dates can slightly change from year-to-year. You'll want to visit their page on Facebook for upcoming dates and special events. It's free to attend and you'll find free and paid meter parking nearby.

If you're unfamiliar with the Wildwood area....North Wildwood is a borough & city located on the northern tip of the island. The festival is held on Olde New Jersey Avenue where they rope off several blocks and hold the festival on the street. Nearby businesses and restaurants often offer specials and deals during the event.

You can shop for crafts, jewelry, apparel, collectibles, etc. from the participating street vendors. There are several food trucks that offer grab-n-go food and beverages. There  is a stage with a small bleacher section where you can enjoy live entertainment and dancing. You'll be doing a lot of walking, so I suggest wearing comfortable walking shoes and dress appropriately for the current weather conditions.

There are several restaurants and sport's bars along the festival route and nearby if you want a sit-down dinner. Many of them also offer live entertainment (indoors) during the event. They can get extremely crowded during the prime time hours, so I suggest arriving early for dinner if that's what you prefer.

While we were there they had some live entertainment (a band) playing up on stage and in between the band's time they had a DJ playing music and rev'ing up the crowd. What was really nice to see was the little parade of Italian-Americans walking down the street carrying flags and singing songs. My grandchildren really got a kick out of seeing the men dressed up in their uniforms/costumes and the women following behind carrying the Italian and American flags.

We spent about 2 hours at the Italian American festival and had a really nice time. This was our first time attending and we definitely look forward to attending again in the future.