Bloomfield residents celebrate heritage during annual Columbus Day parade
By Megan Tomasic / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
For Juliana Ross and her mother Gina Merante, the annual Columbus Day Parade in Bloomfield is a chance to celebrate three generations in Pittsburgh.
Each year, the mother-daughter duo makes signs and sets up lawn chairs in front of their store Linea Verde Green Market on Liberty Avenue, excitedly waiting for Peter Machi — a staple in Pittsburgh’s produce scene — to march his way through the parade.
Today, Mr. Machi, known for his huckster truck that would spill over with fruits and vegetables, is Ms. Merante’s produce supplier. But before that, he sold produce to Ms. Merante’s dad, who moved to the U.S. from Italy.
“I love it so much. … It’s sort of like what my dad did and then I get to do it,” Ms. Merante, 58, of Brookline said during Saturday’s parade. “It’s years of history for me.”
Spurts of rain showers seemingly kept people from the parade initially, but more began trickling in as things kicked off. And those set up nearly an hour before the parade started have made the celebration a yearly event, some coming back to the neighborhood they grew up in, with others taking time to celebrate their Italian heritage.
The parade is now in its 36th year. Organizers said Pittsburgh is estimated to have the fifth largest Italian population in the U.S.
This year’s parade began near West Penn Hospital on Liberty Avenue before ending near the Bloomfield Bridge. It featured dozens of Pittsburgh-based businesses, floats and high school marching bands including from Allderdice, which played “America the Beautiful” and “Espresso” by Sabrina Carpenter.
It was led by Michael Facchiano, Jr., who served as the parade’s grand marshal. Mr. Facchiano, who operates Facchiano Contracting Co., was recognized for his long standing support of Pittsburgh. During the parade, Mr. Facchiano rode in a restored 1955 GMC pickup truck, a nod to his late father for whom he restored the vehicle. Another truck followed, carrying a shovel bucket featuring a spray painted Italian flag.
“This popular and unique parade welcomes all of the area’s residents and invites them to experience the deep and enduring legacy of our region’s Italian American community,” Tony Ferraro, who organizes and hosts the parade, said in a statement. “Italian Americans are proud of their heritage. They are known for their warm, welcoming hearts, alongside their rich heritage and commitment to protecting their contributions to the success and growth of our community.”
Still, the parade comes amid ongoing controversy around the Christopher Columbus statue in Schenley Park and whether or not it should be removed. The debate started in 2020 as Columbus statues across the country were the focal point of a modern reckoning with systemic racism within America and throughout its history.
The argument centers on Columbus’ role in history. Those in favor of removal say Columbus was a murderer and colonizer whose landing in the Americas set off a genocide of Native Americans. But supporters say Columbus, who never set foot in North America — exemplifies a strong and heroic Italian American heritage.
Given the ongoing debate nationwide there has been a push to rename Columbus Day as Indigenous Peoples Day. By 2023 only 16 states still observed the second Monday in October as Columbus Day, the Pew Research Center found.
And Pittsburgh’s parade has been no stranger to pushback. In 2017 protesters attended the event causing parade organizers at the time to consider moving the event to a different weekend and renaming it to “Heritage Day Parade” to welcome more of the city’s ethnic groups.
While the parade is still celebrated in honor of Columbus Day, Dale Zecca, 77, of Bloomfield, who attends annually, said the event has changed over the years to include more diversity and a bigger push to focus on Indigenous Peoples Day.
“When you’re kind of indoctrinated for years and years in school it’s like you can’t discount what happened but you can change things to make them more inclusive,” Ms. Zecca said.
Lori Sims, 65, of Robinson Township, who came to support her brother playing the accordion in the parade, noted that Columbus “is a part of our history. I think it’s important we know our history” so that it’s not repeated and so that people know how they came to be in America.
“It’s a big melting pot here so you’ve got to celebrate that,” Ms. Sims said.
For Chris Ferraro — her brother-in-law is Mr. Ferraro, who is running the parade — the event is an annual tradition for her “tight knit Italian family.” This year, she eagerly waited to watch her 5-year-old granddaughters go by on a float in the parade.
“I just think it’s good for us as Italians to stick true to our heritage,” Ms. Ferraro said.
Back at the Linea Verde Green Market, Ms. Ross was ready to enjoy the day with her mother while mingling with longtime Bloomfield residents.
“It’s just really fun to be out in the neighborhood,” Ms. Ross, 28, of Brookline said. “All the kids come out. They’ll run in the store, get an apple or a banana and we’ll just hang outside for the day.”