Correspondent photo / Sean Barron The Jim Frank Combo was the first entertainment Friday for the 29th annual Brier Hill Italian Festival in Youngstown. The longtime Youngstown group played a variety of Italian songs, polkas and a few waltzes.

YOUNGSTOWN — Michael Alberini enjoyed preparing a slew of favorite Italian dishes, perhaps because the cavatelli, large meatballs and other foods are immersed in as much tradition as they are sauce.

“This is the only festival we do,” Alberini, owner of Michael Alberini’s Restaurant in Boardman, said. “This is a little more personal for me.”

The personal part likely is the result of the deep tradition in which his recipes are steeped — or, to put it another way, the same ones people generations ago enjoyed.

Alberini and his staff were far from shy about showing some of their specialties Friday during the 29th annual Brier Hill Italian Festival, which began Thursday and continues noon to midnight today and Sunday at Calvin and Victoria avenues on the North Side. Admission is free.

An estimated 29 vendors make up this year’s fest, the theme of which is, “The spirit of the old Italian neighborhood lives on in Dee Dee’s memory,” to honor the late Dominic “Dee Dee” Modarelli, who started the festival in the early 1990s. Modarelli, who was a bricklayer and stonemason by trade, died in 2009.

What the elder Modarelli thought would be a one-time neighborhood festival grew in popularity beyond his expectations.

“It was supposed to be a single event, but people liked it so much that he said, ‘We’ll do this every year,'” Dominic Modarelli, Dee Dee Modarelli’s son and event chairman, explained.

Proceeds are to benefit ITAM Memorial Post 12, which honors Italian / American veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II and the Korean War.

The event also keeps alive many of the customs and traditions of the surrounding neighborhoods, to which many Italian immigrants moved in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Many of them found work in the burgeoning steel mills and coal plants while others worked in the mills in Pennsylvania, the younger Modarelli said.

Also, many of the Italian residents 100 years ago had limited financial means, so they made Brier Hill pizza, which is tomato sauce, peppers and Romano cheese, Modarelli noted.

“They kept it going through good times and war times,” he said.

Almost as abundant as the food are T-shirts and clothing items with Italian themes and sayings.

“They are locally made and printed. Keeping it local is very important,” said Maurice Scott, a vendor who was selling T-shirts and hooded sweatshirts bearing the name of the longtime festival.

Scott silk screens the shirts and has them printed locally. He and his brother, Scott McSkimming, collaborate on the designs, he added.

Kicking off the entertainment end of things Friday was the Youngstown-based Jim Frank Combo, which played a variety of Italian favorites, combined with a blend of waltzes and polkas.

“We’ve been fortunate. We’re blessed to be able to work in nice places,” such as festivals, area nursing homes, restaurants and wineries, Jim Frank, who plays accordion, said.

Accompanying Frank on Friday were Paul Jacobson on guitar, Joe Commarata on trumpet and Bill Gonda on drums.

Next year’s festival probably will feel a bit different than its 29 predecessors, because Sherry Trolio-Divito will be absent.

“I’ve been here all 29 years. I’ve been a vendor in Youngstown for 47 years,” said Trolio-Divito, who, along with her late husband, Anthony Divito, owned Trolio T-shirts in Poland before selling the business in 2016 after about 43 years.

She also set up shop at several other popular area festivals, including 35 years at the Warren Italian Festival, as well as Our Lady of Mount Carmel Basilica. After her husband died June 6, Trolio-Divito felt it was time to retire, she said.

“It’s hard. He was my partner for life,” she added.

If you go …

WHAT: The 29th annual Brier Hill Italian Festival

WHEN: Noon to midnight today and Sunday

WHERE: Calvin and Victoria avenues on Youngstown’s North Side.

COST: Admission is free.