"I owe a tremendous debt to their courage in coming to America and their strong belief in family and tradition. All the grandchildren and great-grandchildren have worked diligently to become educated and productive Americans while honoring their Italian heritage." [John Panepinto remarking about his grandparents as quoted in Alisa Zahler, Italy in Colorado (Virginia Beach, VA:The Donning Company Publishers, 2008), 128]

Italian American Heritage Month

October is Italian American Heritage Month! The highlight of each October in Denver is the Columbus Day Parade held on a Saturday close to the national holiday on October 12th. You will find more about the Denver Columbus Day Parade on our Columbus Day web page. But, in addition to the parade, the month of October in Colorado is also noted for the events held by the many Italian American organizations around the state celebrating the contributions of Italians and Italian Americans to our State's history and culture. Learn more about the events scheduled for this year's Italian American Heritage Month by visiting our Monthly Calendar of Events and clicking on the "October" tab.

Planning Committee

Long before the month of October planning begins with the goal of making each year's Italian American Heritage Month in Colorado bigger and better than the last one. The task of planning and coordinating these events is the responsibility of the Italian American Heritage Month Planning Committee led by Maria Scordo Allen. If you would like to be a part of the planning for Italian American Heritage Month or you would like to get your organization's celebratory event(s) on the month's schedule, contact:

Honorary Committee Chairperson
Maria Scordo Allen
Former Honorary Vice Consul of Italy for CO and WY
Phone: 303-224-9927
Fax: 303-224-9930
E-mail: italyconsulcolo@msn.com