SPECIAL EVENTS

Italian Expo, America’s largest “Made in Italy” Expo, will again be presented in Houston on Friday, May 21 through Sunday, May 23 at the George R. Brown Convention Center’s Hall A. This elegant large-scale annual expo, housing over 20,000 visitors each year, showcases the best of modern Italy in the areas of food, wine, tourism, design, fashion, art and entertainment.

Hosted by the Italy America Chamber of Commerce-Texas and under the auspices of the Office of the Consul General of Italy in Houston, Italian Expo is a family-friendly event, an exhibit for the public to see the excellence of high-quality fashion apparel and luxury design, taste Italy’s world-renowned wine and cuisine and plan the next Italian vacation with our tourism experts, all while enjoying cultural entertainment.

Italian Expo includes an entertainment schedule for all, featuring daily fashion runway shows with collections from both Taghi and Neiman Marcus, as well dance performances from the Dominique Walsh Dance Theatre company. In addition, the event will host various wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, Italian language classes, musical concerts and a drawing to win a free trip to Italy. An automotive display will present the finest race cars from Lamborghini and Ferrari, alongside famed Ducati motorbikes, while in-house art exhibitions and high-end contemporary design showcases including BiMax and NV4 Living will cater to those with artistic passions. The Porta Portese Market, a replica Italian street market area, will showcase a variety of Italian-themed items ranging from antique, vintage and handcrafted pieces to trendy and new products.

In addition, two Italian regions of Lombardy and Sardinia will be in attendance offering a vast collection of information for visitors’ viewing pleasure.

Creating yet another outlet for education and entertainment in Italian culture, this year the Italian Expo will introduce a new interactive children’s area with a playground, musicians, storytellers and more.

Spec’s will return to the event this year hosting over 30 vendors specializing in gourmet Italian food and wines offering a taste of some of Italy’s finest cured meats and artisanal cheeses. In addition, the expo will also boast the culinary delights of 4 of Houston’s finest Italian restaurants; Arcodoro, Tony’s, Cavour & Quattro. To complete the perfect Italian experience a taste of an authentic Italian gelato and a cup of true Italian espresso, thanks to Illy, will be available.

For more info, call the Italy America Chamber of Commerce-Texas at (713) 626-9303 or email houston@italianexpo.us.