Augusta's Italian American Club Brings Back Its Annual Pasta Festival This October

After Hurricane Helene wiped out the Italian American Club of the CSRA's annual October Pasta Festival two years in a row, the club refused to let the tradition die quietly. With cancellations in both October 2024 and October 2025 blamed on the storm, organizers brought the festival back in a scaled-down format: a takeout-only fundraiser held Friday, Feb. 13, at Immaculate Conception School, 811 Telfair St., Augusta.

The event ran from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with pasta orders priced at $10 and including options for meatballs and/or sausage plus bread. Authentic Italian desserts were also available, though the club's materials offered slightly inconsistent language on the price, describing them variously as "available for purchase" and available "for a small donation."

The festival has been a cornerstone of the club's fundraising calendar for years. "We have done the Pasta Festival for many years," said Somma, a club representative quoted by the Augusta Press. Proceeds from the event, along with member dues and other club functions, support an expansive list of local causes: veterans groups, SafeHomes of Augusta, the Lymphoma Society, Immaculate Conception School, and the Augusta Rescue Mission. The club also puts in volunteer hours at the Ronald McDonald House, Phinizy Swamp Nature Park, and a wreath-laying ceremony honoring WWII Italian and German POWs buried at Fort Gordon.

The IAC's roots in Augusta's civic life run deeper than the pasta pot. Somma noted the club and the local German club were among the first organizations connected to the founding of Arts in the Heart of Augusta, the downtown cultural festival that has since grown into a regional institution.

Beyond the Pasta Festival, the club meets on the second Thursday of each month from August through May, skipping December when the annual Christmas party takes over. Monthly gatherings rotate through themed dinners including pizza night, antipasto night, and a spiral ham dinner. The club also runs a White Elephant Auction that benefits the American Heart Association and sends members to a Bocce Ball Tournament in Hilton Head, South Carolina, hosted by a fellow Italian American club. The IAC held the title of reigning Bocce champions for 2010 and 2011.

Membership is open to Italian Americans in the Central Savannah River Area, whether by birth or by marriage. "We call on Italian Americans by birth or marriage living in the CSRA to join us in the celebration of our heritage," Somma said. The club can be followed on Facebook and Instagram under CSRA Italian American Club, with the Instagram handle csraiac.