07/24/25 - WCSG's Travelin' Together - West Michigan Italian Festival

Italian heritage on display at the Italian Festival this weekend at Tanger Outlet in Byron Center. Image courtesy of Italian Festival. 07/24/25.

Posted by: Joel Hill | Thursday, July 24th, 2025 ( 6:00am)

A celebration of all things Italian is getting started this weekend in West Michigan. WCSG’s Joel Hill has more.

This week’s WCSG’s Travelin’ Together takes place in Byron Center for the return of the West Michigan Italian Festival. The event actually ran for 25 years until 1997 when it was known as Festa Italiana in the downtown area of Grand Rapids..

Some of the past traditions will be included in this new festival, including food, music, and arts & crafts. This time you can try your hand at bocce ball and even participate in a tournament, and a spaghetti eating contest. There will also be live bands, as well as a kid's area. Organizers say it's an opportunity to celebrate Italian heritage and share that with members of the West Michigan community. The festivities start on Friday at Tanger Outlet and conclude on Saturday evening. For more information visit WM Italian.