Before the Freeway, There Was Little Italy—And It Still Lives On in SLC

There was a time in the not-so-distant past when, within a few blocks in downtown Salt Lake City, Italian was spoken more frequently than English. From the late 1800s to 1940s, hundreds of Italian immigrants put down roots on the west side of the Rio Grande Depot on blocks from 700 to 900 West and 200 North to 800 South, earning the area the familiar moniker, “Little Italy.” Drawn to Utah by the promise of steady work and a refuge from the political unrest and poor living conditions back home, these newcomers created a vibrant neighborhood that bustled with grocery stores, bakeries, barber shops, beer halls, and tailor shops. 

St. Patrick Parish was built 106 years ago to serve Italian immigrants, it still stands at 1058 W 400 S

Little Italy remained until the mid-1950s when most of its property owners were bought out and their businesses and homes leveled to make way for the construction of Interstate 15. Yet the deep appreciation for beauty, culinary traditions and dedication to artistry Italian culture is known for still thrives among Utah’s tight-knit Italian community—a heritage now celebrated each September with Festa Italiana, a two-day festival of music, food and fellowship. This years event, set for September 13 and 14, 2025, marks the festival’s tenth anniversary.

Los Angeles Hotel and Bar, 377 West South Temple, circa 1936, owned by Italian immigrants Dominico Conta and Guiseppe Fernando. This photograph was taken for property tax purposes. Photo courtesy of the Salt Lake County Archives.

Nick Fuoco, Festa Italiana founder and Salt Lake City’s Honorary Italian Consul, says the celebration reflects the same ideals on which Salt Lake City’s Italian American Civic League was founded more than 90 years ago: fellowship and unity with all Utahns. “[The Civic League] was created to help Italian transplants assimilate into American culture and give back to the community,” Fuoco says. “Over the years the organization evolved into a presenter of events that create community beyond the state’s 1,500 or so descendants of Little Italy.”

Back in 2013, Fuoco and others in Salt Lake City’s Italian-American community were brainstorming about ways to highlight the city’s Italian heritage. “Many other cities host big events like Festa Italiana,” he explained, “and so a bunch of us got together and applied for a grant from the Mayor’s Arts, Culture & Entertainment (ACE) Fund. And then when we got the grant, the pressure was on to actually do it.”

Colavita Olive Oil stepped up as title sponsor for the inaugural Festa Italiana, held in 2015, the same year that organizers booked Ricci Martin, Dean Martin’s youngest son and Utah resident, to deliver the event’s headline performance. (Ricci Martin passed away in 2016.) “It was held right in front of the Rio Grande Depot and more than 6,000 people showed up, which was about 5,000 more than we expected,” Fuoco says.

The following year, Festa Italiana organizers partnered with the Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance to move the event to The Gateway, where it has been held annually ever since. “Since the beginning we’ve tried to focus Festa Italiana on authenticity,” Fuoco says. “We bring in bands from Italy, we pour only Italian beer and wine and feature the best local Italian restaurants,” Fuoco says. “We have never charged an admission fee—it’s open to everyone.”

Though Festa Italiana is more about celebration than history, it provides an opportunity to consider one of Little Italy’s most prominent remaining landmarks, St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. Founded in 1889 at 417 South and 500 West, the parish moved in 1907 when its land was sold to the San Pedro, Los Angeles, and Salt Lake Railroad. The “new” St. Patrick’s Church was built and completed at 1040 W. 400 South in 1916. “Much of the stained glass windows in St. Patrick’s are named after Italian families who lived in that area, including my grandparents,” Fuoco says. 

One of St. Patrick’s parishioners with a story similar to the thousands of Italians who emigrated from Italy to the U.S. during what was dubbed as the Great Migration is Jim Chiodo. In 1921, for $300 ($5,400 today), Chiodo purchased a one-way, third-class steerage ticket on a steamship that traveled for three months from Italy to New York City’s Ellis Island. From there he spent another $90 ($1,500 is today’s dollars) to take the train to Salt Lake City. Here he found work as a laborer on with the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad and lived in Salt Lake’s Little Italy with a cousin. He attended dances at the Christopher Columbus Lodge, a precursor to the Italian American Civic League, and in 1933 he returned to Italy briefly to marry. He and his wife returned to Salt Lake City, where they presumably lived out their lives. (Chiodo’s oral history, recorded by Phil Notarianni in 1971, is courtesy of the University of Utah Archives’ American West Center.)

If Chiodo could wander through today’s Festa Italiana, he may feel transported back to the days of Salt Lake’s Little Italy: where Italian and English mingle in lively conversation, the aromas of fresh bread and simmering sauces fills the air, multigenerational families cluster around gelato stands and live music creates a festive backdrop. For those looking to experience Festa Italiana firsthand, Fuoco recommends arriving early to beat the food lines. “Come for a late lunch or early dinner, then grab a gelato or a glass of wine and a seat at the Main Stage to enjoy an evening of amazing entertainment,” he suggests. 

Festa Italiana will be held at The Gateway (400 W. 200 South) September 13 and 14. The event schedule is as follows:

Saturday, September 13, 2025:

Noon – 1 p.m. Luca De Paolis (Civitavecchia, Italy) and Sabrina Dolci (Rome, Italy)

1 – 2:30 p.m. Anthony Nino Lane Band (San Francisco, CA)

2:30 – 3 p.m. Ballet Center Utah, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT)

3 – 3:30 p.m. Ducato di Parma Flag Throwers (Fornovo di Taro, Italy) in Main Square

3:30 p.m. Italian-American Civic League of Utah Scholarship Presentation

3:30 – 4 p.m. Pizza eating contest

4 – 5 p.m. Mbrascatu (Calabria, Italy via Portland, OR) 

5 – 6 p.m. Luca De Paolis (Civitavecchia, Italy) and Sabrina Dolci (Rome, Italy)

6 – 6:30 p.m. Ducato di Parma Flag Throwers (Fornovo di Taro, Italy) in Main Square 

6:30 - 8:00 p.m. Anthony Nino Lane Band (San Francisco, CA)

8 – 8:15 p.m. Main Stage presentation: Festa Italiana SLC 10th Anniversary! 

8:30 – 10 p.m. Musica da Ripostiglio (Grosseto, Italy) 

10:00 p.m. Gates close

Sunday, September 14, 2025:

12 – 2 p.m. Joe Muscolino Band (Salt Lake City, UT)

2 – 2:30 p.m. Pasta eating contest 

2:30 – 3:30 p.m. Mbrascatu (Calabria, Italy via Portland, OR) 

3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Luca De Paolis (Civitavecchia, Italy) & Sabrina Dolci (Rome, Italy)

4 – 4:30 p.m. Ducato di Parma Flag Throwers (Fornovo di Taro, Italy) in Main Square 

4:30 - 5:30 p.m. Musica da Ripostiglio (Grosseto, Italy) 

5:30 – 7 p.m. Anthony Nino Lane Band (San Francisco, CA)

7 p.m. Gates close

Festa Italiana also features food stations hosted by more than 15 Italian restaurants/purveyors  from across Utah, arts and activities for kids, street performers, gelato and Italian soda stands and more. Admission is free. For more details, visit festaitalianaslc.com.