Tontitown: Arkansas’s Italian Village (Where Red Sauce Meets Redneck!)

When most people think of Italian America, they probably think of the many famous East Coast Italian enclaves, but we’ve come to learn that some of the finest fruits of Italian influence in American life actually exist well off the beaten path. And few places we’ve visited, if any, bring the story of Italian immigration to life quite like Tontitown… Arkansas’s Secret Italian Village!
And every August for over 130 years, the unique Italianità of this “Italy of the Ozarks” is on full display, in one of the oldest continuously running Italian American celebrations you’ll find anywhere: The Annual Tontitown Grape Festival.
Join us as we experience this fascinating tradition, meet the incredible community behind the celebration, sample some of their distinctive delicacies, and fall in love with this big little place where “Red Sauce meets Redneck”!
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Presented as a joint project from The Italian American Podcast and The Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA), and in association with Joe Minnella Studios LLC, we present Greetings From Italian America
Join us each month as we seek out the Italian side of America!
Visit our websites and social media for more information-
THE ITALIAN AMERICAN PODCAST:italianamericanpodcast.com/ iTunes: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast…Facebook: facebook.com/ItalianAmeri…Instagram: instagram.com/italianamer…Twitter:twitter.com/italamerican
THE ITALIAN SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF AMERICA: orderisda.org/ Facebook: facebook.com/orderisda.org Instagram: instagram.com/order_isda/ Twitter: twitter.com/OrderISDA
JOE MINNELLA STUDIOS: joecinema.com/
“Greetings From Italian America: Greetings From Tontitown”
Directed by Joe Minnella
Executive Producer Basil Russo
Written by Joe Minnella and John M. Viola
Producers John M. Viola, Rossella Rago, Pat O’Boyle, Joe Minnella and Stephanie Longo
Narrated by John M. Viola
Hosted by John M. Viola, Rossella Rago and Pat O’Boyle
Director of Photography and Editor Joe Minnella
Special Guests: Kara Jo Engle, Chris Ranalli, Heather Peachee, Jeff Franco, Julie Zulpo Bowling
Featuring Original Music By:
Burr and Campbell “By The Dear Old River Rhine” (Artlist)J.F. Gloss “Happy Cows” and “Catching a Train” (Epidemic)River Run Dry “Daddy Pay Cash” (Epidemic)Bob Hart “Chartreux Noir” (Artlist)Gary the Canary “Urban Farm” (Epidemic)Peter John “Song For Dad” (Artlist)
Still Photos and Additional Footage from:
Facebook, iStock, Wikipedia, Pinterest, We The Italians, ISDA, 1st Art Gallery, Club Cooking, CRTV, Days of the Year, National Today, Piatto Recipes, The Spruce Eats, Twitter, USA Restaurants, Live Strong, Reddit, United Cattle Products, Monovisions, Fine Art America, The Mayor EU, One More Folded Sunset, NY Times, Il Regno, Hip Postcard, Hemmings Slice of Brooklyn, Library of Congress, Water and Power Associates, Images.png, La Gazette Italiana, Herbert List, Research Gate, Atlas Obscura, YouTube, CBS, NBC, Storyblocks, Alchetron, Ana St. Paul, Grand Voyage Italy, History 101 NYC, The Agency, Newman Ministry, Look and Learn St. Pauline’s, Festival del Medioevo, Britannica, Brooklyn Eagle, Historic Green Point, Locale Magazine, Drones Over Arkansas, Emigrazion Eitaliana, Town Maps, Farmer’s Almanac, Tontitown Historical Museum, Tontitown Facebook Page, Museo
Special ThanksISDA, The Italian American Podcast, The Viola Family, Basil Russo, Stephanie Longo, John Deike, The Ranalli Family, The Peachee Family, Kara Jo Engle, Heather Peachee, Chris Ranalli, The Tontitown Historical Museum, Julie Zulpo Bowling, Mama Z’s, The Venesian Inn, Tontitown Winery, St. Joseph’s Parish, Jeff Franco, Ranalli Farms
Filmed in Tontitown, AR