CSRA Italian American Club Returns Pasta Festival with Takeout-Only Mini

The Italian American Club of the CSRA is staging a takeout-only mini Pasta Festival Friday, Feb. 13 at Immaculate Conception School, 811 Telfair St., with pickup service planned from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Plates are $10 and include pasta with options of meatballs and/or sausage and bread; desserts will also be available for purchase. The event is designed for pickup only.

Club Treasurer Jim Somma described the scaled-back format plainly: "This is a mini Pasta Festival." The smaller footprint follows October setbacks caused by Hurricane Helene, which forced the club to cancel its usual October festival in 2024 and put a damper on plans again in October 2025. Organizers say the Feb. 13 event keeps the tradition alive while fundraising and rebuilding for a full return later in the year.

Somma noted the club's intention to resume the larger autumn gathering. "We usually do a larger one, and we will have the larger one in October, where we will have many more desserts for sale." The club has run the Pasta Festival for many years, he added: "We have done the Pasta Festival for many years," noting the group's early involvement in Arts in the Heart of Augusta, where the Italian American Club and the German club were among the first groups connected to the festival’s beginnings downtown.

Proceeds from member dues, the Pasta Festival, and other club events support a range of local causes. Somma identified beneficiaries that include veterans groups, SafeHomes of Augusta, the Lymphoma Society, Immaculate Conception School, and the Augusta Rescue Mission. That mix of community-minded recipients means each $10 plate feeds both customers and neighborhood programs.

Desserts appear in the event materials in two ways: the body copy notes desserts will be available for purchase, while an image caption offers that "For a small donation, attendees of the Pasta Festival can enjoy authentic Italian desserts." Staff photo by Liz Wright accompanies that caption.

The takeout-only format makes pickup straightforward and keeps the menu classic and familiar to long-time fans: a single-plate fundraiser centered on hearty pasta and simple choices. For families and supporters who rely on the October event, the mini festival offers a chance to support local charities now and to mark the club’s return to full-scale festivities in October. Expect organizers to expand offerings and desserts when the larger festival reappears later in the year.