Bella Vita Fest

More than 50 chalk artists depicting Italian themes will line the streets of Little Italy, along with live Italian music, wine tasting, and food and vendor booths when ArtWalk San Diego presents Bella Vita Fest.

October is Italian Heritage month, and the festival celebrates the tradition of street painting which began in 16th-century Italy with itinerant artists, many of whom had been brought into the cities to work on the cathedrals. When the work was done, they would often recreate the paintings of the Madonna onto the pavement, and they became known as Madonnari. “Bella Vita Fest has been on the drawing table since 2018 and we’re so excited to finally be able to bring it to the streets of San Diego’s Little Italy,” says Curt Brooker, ArtWalk San Diego Director.  The event will run from 11am-5pm on both days.