Just 20 minutes north of Terre Haute, and a quick 90-minute drive from Indianapolis, Clinton, Indiana, is a small town with a few unexpected quirks. Every Labor Day Weekend since 1966, Clinton has hosted the Little Italy Festival, a four-day event featuring grape stomping, live music, gondola rides, a flea market, and an Italian-themed parade.
Some years, the town has welcomed over 250,000 visitors for the event, and the streets fill with everything from food stalls to carnival rides to a statewide bocce ball tournament. If you find yourself somewhere in the Midwest next September, you should add the Little Italy Festival in Clinton to your list of places to visit, but first, here are a few things to know about this unique event.
A Packed Schedule of Events
The festival kicks off on Friday afternoon with various activities and events scattered around town, though the main stage and the wine garden are two of the primary attractions. The city jumps right into the fun on the first day with the largest parade in Indiana, an official welcome from the mayor, a concert, a carnival, and a fireworks display to wrap up the evening.
During the rest of the weekend, you’ll be able to watch and even participate in events such as a grape-stomping competition, a beauty pageant, and, of course, both a pizza and a meatball-eating contest. While the event features many classic American fairground activities, you’ll still feel the town’s Italian heritage proudly on display.
Make Sure to Come Hungry
Probably one of the best parts about the festival, or really any trip to Clinton, Indiana, for that matter, is the food. With family-run restaurants all over town that offer traditional recipes passed down from the original Italian immigrants, the whole town feels like it’s one big family kitchen.
One of the best places to get your pizza, pasta, and Italian pastry fix is, of course, during the Little Italy Festival. Hundreds of booths and vendors line the streets offering a variety of spaghetti dishes, sandwiches, salami and cheese boards, cannolis, and Italian ice. It’s worth showing up hungry, and maybe even skipping breakfast beforehand, chances are you’ll map out your weekend based on what you want to eat next.
Don’t Forget the Wine
What good is your meatball sandwich without a tasty glass of merlot to go with it? At the festival wine garden, not only can you sample dozens of delicious local and imported Italian wines, but there is an entire lineup of events throughout the weekend.
With back-to-back live music performances, you can unwind with a glass in hand and easily lose track of time in one of the most popular corners of the festival. Want to skip the lines? The Wine Garden also offers VIP passes that give you quicker entry to the garden throughout the weekend while only having to pay a single cover charge.
Just don’t forget to also check out the wine museum. Located right around the corner from the garden, the museum has dozens of authentic wine presses, barrels, crocks, and jugs that were once used during the town’s first decades of winemaking. You can wander around, learn a few things about the history of Italian winemaking, grab a few souvenirs or bottles to go before heading back out to enjoy the festival.
Explore Beyond the Festival
While most visitors stick to the festival grounds, it’s worth wandering a few blocks around the rest of Clinton’s Little Italy neighborhood. The area has a handful of small bakeries, quaint shops, and family businesses that offer a frozen-in-time glimpse at the town’s early immigrant history. You’ll see murals, old signage, and a few restaurants that are still operating today and which have been part of the community for decades.
Another crowd favorite is hopping on a gondola along the Wabash River. Clinton sits right on the western riverbank, and the festival’s gondola rides offer a simple, scenic way to see the town from the water, a perfect activity for a romantic date night or with the whole family.
Last but not least, make sure to stop by the Coal Town and Railroad Museum, just a short walk from the festival area. It’s housed in the restored 1910 passenger depot and features a model coal mine, historic footage, and artifacts that highlight Clinton’s mining and railroad roots.
Bottom Line
Whether you’re interested in the food, the history, or just a fun way to spend Labor Day Weekend, the Little Italy Festival is a tradition that has been Clinton’s premier annual event for nearly six decades. It’s an easy trip, a welcoming community event. If you show up hungry, you’re guaranteed to leave with a full stomach and a new appreciation for this small corner of Indiana.