Festa Americana: Celebrating American Culture and History in Italy

NAPLES, Italy — This summer, service members and their families, Department of Defense civilians and local Italians flocked to Festa Americana to celebrate America’s Independence Day at U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples’ Support Site in Gricignano di Aversa, July 2.

The midsummer Festa Americana festival, organized by NSA Naples Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) team and supported by various other organizations, was held to celebrate the independence of the United States of America and to share American culture with the local Italian community.

The festival also symbolizes the strong partnership between the United States and Italy, and provides a festive opportunity for a unique cultural exchange.

“We are thrilled that this event is at Support Site and we can all come together and celebrate where we live,” said military spouse and teacher Kate Krusely. “This event teaches our children what Independence Day means.”

While most NSA Naples community members and Italian guests celebrated the event, there were also volunteers and members of the NSA Naples team who stood the watch to ensure that all attendees had a safe and positive experience.

“It really takes a village to host a successful event,” said Capt. James Stewart, commanding officer of NSA Naples.

Stewart gave a speech thanking guests, families, volunteers, and contributors to Festa Americana.

“Thank you to our host nation as well as those who have dedicated their time and effort to keep us safe and secure, not just for this event, but all year round,” said Stewart.

NSA Naples’ Support Site was decorated with inflatable displays of Uncle Sam and visitors dressed in red, white, and blue. The festival included food vendors, a hot dog eating contest, and concerts by American rock n’ roll Essential Bruce Springsteen Tribute Band and American pop-rock band Aly & AJ.

“It was awesome to spend time together with friends,” said Danilo Bozza, a local Italian living in Naples who has been attending Festa Americana for a few years.

“I tried the corn dog for the first time and I love the classic pulled pork,” said Bozza of the festival’s American fare.

Festa Americana concluded with the playing of the American and Italian national anthems and the eagerly anticipated colorful fireworks show.

“This is the 12th Festa Americana I’ve been involved with and the seventh one I’ve coordinated,” said Chris Kasparek, NSA Naples MWR Community Recreation Director. “It’s always such a treat to organize something like this, and to have our American and Italian guests ‘keep on smiling’,” said Kasparek.

Kasparek additionally credited his team’s flexibility when a quick shift in location for this year’s event was required due to brush fires near the original event location.

“When you’ve got an excellent team with you, amazing things can be accomplished. This year, my team exceeded all expectations to put on a safe and fun event for our community,” said Kasparek.

NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed to ensure security and stability in the European, African, and Central Command areas of responsibility.

For more news about NSA Naples and the Sailors who serve onboard the installation, please follow us on Instagram @NSANaples and Facebook at facebook.com/NSANaples/.