HerrinFesta Italiana

05/28/2026

🍅 Celebrating Tradition at the HerrinFesta Pasta Sauce Contest 🇮🇹

From longtime family recipes to bold new creations, this year’s HerrinFesta Pasta Sauce Contest brought incredible flavor, creativity, and Italian tradition to the table.

A big thank you to everyone who participated and shared their passion for cooking and community through this special Festa tradition.

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

🏆 1st Place - Jon Hutchison
🥈 2nd Place - Aaron Christ
🥉 3rd Place - Charsi Kane

Whether inspired by generations of family cooking or a personal twist on a classic recipe, every entry helped make this event a true celebration of Italian heritage and community spirit.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this year’s contest such a success.

Photos by French Studio 📸

05/28/2026

🎨 Celebrating Creativity at the HerrinFesta Community Art Show 🇮🇹

A heartfelt thank you to every artist who participated in this year’s HerrinFesta Community Art Show. Your creativity, talent, and passion helped make this event such a meaningful part of Festa weekend.

Congratulations to this year’s winners:

🏆 First Place - Jo Ann Mondino (West Frankfort, IL)
🥈 Second Place - Lynn Gross (Goreville, IL)
🥉 Third Place - Valerie Fry (Herrin, IL)
⭐ People’s Choice - Jacqueline Swedlunch (Herrin, IL)

We would also like to extend a special thank you to:
✨ Sue Mullen, Herrin City Library Director
✨ Jason Hedrick, Assistant Librarian
✨ Lisa Carnaghi, Herrin History Room Librarian

Thank you for helping support and showcase local artists and creativity within our community.

The HerrinFesta Community Art Show continues to be a beautiful reminder that Festa is not only about celebration, but also about culture, expression, and bringing people together through the arts.

05/27/2026

🍝 A Huge Congratulations to Our Pasta Eating Champion 🇮🇹

What a crowd. What a mess. What a competition.

Thank you to everyone who came out for the HerrinFesta Pasta Eating Contest and helped make it one of the most entertaining events of the weekend.

With no forks, no hands, and plenty of determination, contestants went all in for the title of Carb Consuming Champion.

🏆 Congratulations to this year’s winner:
Angel Whitecotton

From the laughs to the cheering crowd, this event once again proved that HerrinFesta knows how to have fun while celebrating Italian tradition in the best way possible.

Thank you to everyone who participated, watched, and cheered the contestants on.

Photos by French Studio 📸

05/27/2026

⚪⚫ Thank You for Another Special Adult-Child Bocce Tournament 🇮🇹

One of the most meaningful sights at HerrinFesta each year is seeing generations come together on the bocce courts.

Thank you to every family, player, volunteer, and supporter who helped make this year’s Adult-Child Bocce Tournament such a memorable part of Festa weekend.

From first-time players learning the game to longtime bocce families continuing tradition together, the courts were filled with laughter, teamwork, competition, and moments that perfectly capture the spirit of HerrinFesta.

Congratulations to this year’s top teams:

🏆 1st Place
Joe Helleny
Jack Helleny
Sarah Diedrich
Michael Diedrich

🥈 2nd Place
Donnie Hammann
Daniel Hammann
Kingston Hammann
Lukah Hammann

🥉 3rd Place
Travis Caliper
Jayson Caliper
Emerson Caliper
Teresa Caliper

🏅 4th Place
Nolan Frost
Luke Raski
Aiden Gusta
Jeff Gusta
Gavin Stefan

This tournament continues to remind us that bocce is about more than competition, it’s about connection, tradition, and passing something meaningful from one generation to the next.

Thank you for helping keep that tradition alive.

05/27/2026

05/26/2026

🎯 Thank You for an Incredible International Bocce Tournament 🇮🇹

What an unforgettable weekend on the bocce courts at HerrinFesta.

Thank you to all of the players, teams, organizers, volunteers, and spectators who helped make this year’s International Championship Bocce Tournament such a special event.

From intense matches and incredible shots to moments of camaraderie and tradition shared between generations and teams from near and far, the tournament once again showcased why bocce remains at the heart of HerrinFesta.

Congratulations to this year’s top teams:

🏆 1st Place - Bad Boy Bocce
Brad Hill
Billy Meyer
Silas Johnson
Cris Newman

🥈 2nd Place - The 4 Horseman
Joe Helleny
Jack Helleny
Robert Helleny
Matt Millikin

🥉 3rd Place - The Punishers
Micah Clarke
Davin Ripley
Pete Williamson
Austin Williamson

🏅 4th Place - Be Bocce Lula
Bill Lipscomb
Pam Moore
Kim Bush
Ryan Holland

The passion, sportsmanship, and pride displayed throughout the competition honored the rich Italian heritage and community spirit that continue to define this tradition year after year.

Thank you for helping carry on one of the most iconic parts of HerrinFesta Italiana.

05/26/2026

Thank You, Republic Services 🇮🇹

A sincere thank you to Republic Services for helping support HerrinFesta Italiana.

Events like Festa take an incredible amount of behind-the-scenes work to keep everything running smoothly, clean, and welcoming for the thousands of people who come through downtown each year. Your support helps make that possible.

We appreciate your partnership and your continued commitment to helping our community shine during one of Herrin’s most cherished traditions.

05/25/2026

🎡 One Last Day of HerrinFesta Carnival Fun 🇮🇹

Today is your final chance to experience the carnival at HerrinFesta this year!

One more afternoon and evening of rides, games, lights, prizes, fair food, and all the little moments that make Festa week so special.

And before Festa wraps up, don’t forget to grab one of the true Italian favorites, a cannoli. Crispy shell, sweet filling, and the perfect way to finish out the week.

Whether you come for the rides, the food, or simply the atmosphere downtown, we’d love to see you one more time before the lights go down for another year.

🎠 Carnival Hours Today: 1:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Come make a few more memories before HerrinFesta 2026 comes to a close.

PS - Huge "Thank You" French Studio for all of their awesome photos this year!

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

🏓 Today, the courts belong to pickleball

For the first time ever, FESTA DI PICKLEBALL is happening at HerrinFesta, and the courts are ready.

Players are stepping in.
Games are starting.
And the competition is officially on.

From casual players to serious competitors, you’ll see:
🔥 Fast-paced rallies
🎯 Strategic play
🏆 Teams battling their way through the bracket

And behind it all, a bigger purpose, supporting local students from Herrin High School FBLA as they work toward the National Leadership Conference.

📍 Herrin City Park
🕛 12:00–6:00 PM

Stop by, watch a match, and check out one of the newest traditions at HerrinFesta.

👉 Event details here:
https://herrinfesta.com/event/pickleball-tournament/

05/25/2026

This morning feels different

There’s a calm before the day begins.

Before the streets fill up.
Before the noise picks back up.

There’s a moment where everything slows down.

That’s where the Doughboy Memorial Service lives.

No distractions.
No rush.

Just people gathered with a shared understanding of what this day represents.

You don’t have to say anything.
You just have to be there.

📍 9:00 AM

If you can, take a moment out of your morning to stand with the community.

👉 Information here:
https://herrinfesta.com/event/memorial-day-service/