Columbus Celebration Weekend is the most festive time of year for CCF. That weekend, members and their guests are invited to attend the annual Gala, a prestigious event which has hosted such celebrities as Lady Gaga, Cindy Crawford, and Andrea Bocelli. The Gala features a silent auction, raffle, music, dancing, and delicious food. A ceremonial wreath laying at Columbus Circle and a Columbus Day Mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral continue the Celebration Weekend festivities. All proceeds from the weekend benefit CCF’s scholarship program, making it the most important weekend of the year.
For the last eighty-one years, Columbus Citizens Foundation has hosted the Columbus Day Parade in honor of Italy’s contributions to the United States. The parade, which takes place every October and travels down Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, draws millions of spectators. It is the world’s largest celebration of Italian American culture and heritage and has been led by Grand Marshals such as Roberto Cavalli, Sophia Loren, Massimo Ferragamo, and Lidia Matticchio Bastianich.