02/11/2025
CELEBRATING ITALIAN CULTURE
Geraldton's Festival of Lights drew large crowds to Stow Garden on Saturday night, as different cultural groups showcased their food, dancing and art.
This year, the festival spotlighted the Italian community, which has strong roots in Geraldton as some of the early fishers, farmers and railroad workers.
The 2016 Census showed 2.9 per cent of Geraldton's population has Italian ancestry.
Local nonna Anna Capurso spent most of her life in Geraldton but remains strongly connected to her Italian culture.
Ms Capurso travelled to Italy five times and says one of the great things about her culture is being together in a big kitchen, cooking good food with family.
"There's a saying, 'you work, love and play'," she said.
"My kitchen's enormous. At festive season, it's not even big enough. There's about six or seven or eight of us all in there. We're all doing things, preparing food.
"It brings joy and happiness. That's what it's all about, Italian culture."
Picture: Anka Kovacich, Theresa Italiano (first female president of the Italian Club), Anna Capurso, Lyn Tropiano, Liz Dichiera.
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