Feast of Saint Mark Food Festival marks 5th year

The Feast of Saint Mark Italian Food Festival, an annual event celebrating traditional Italian culture, will take place at Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church in the Brook Highland area Saturday, April 30, at 3 p.m.

The festival, in its fifth year, will begin with a Catholic Mass, followed by food, dancing, live Italian music and youth activities. 

On the church grounds, some of Birmingham’s finest Italian chefs and sandwich makers will distribute samples of such items as fresh pasta, muffaletta sandwiches, gelato and Italian cookies.

The festival is held on the first Saturday following April 25, which is the feast day of Mark the Evangelist, the church’s patron saint. The “festa” — which celebrates the values of faith, family, food and fun — began in 2012 and has drawn about 3,000 attendees per year, according to event spokesperson Donna Francavilla.

Saint Mark the Evangelist Catholic Church is located on Highway 119, just east of Highway 280. 

Tickets are $25. Children ages 5 and under are admitted free. Tickets include admission to all festival attractions and an authentic Italian meal in the Parish Life Center. 

For tickets and more information, go to feastofstmark.com.