The spirit, perseverance and resourcefulness of Italians who immigrated to the United States and lived and worked in the Hershey area will be celebrated during La Festa Italiana, to be presented by the Hershey History Center.

Events will begin on Saturday, Sept. 25, when the history center will host its annual Preservation Tour. This year's tour will highlight where the Italian immigrants worked, including the quarries and later the chocolate factory, as well as the music and food that they enjoyed and where they worshipped. Attendees will ride trolleys for the tour, which will depart from the history center, 40 Northeast Drive, Hershey, at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.

"As they drive around, (they will hear) stories about the town and there will be actors who illustrate the stories," said history center executive director Nikki Soliday. "Our guests will be able to get off the trolley and experience part of the story we are telling. There may be food samples. We did a tour last year, and when we stopped at the Hershey Italian Lodge, they got to play bocce. "

At the history center, there will be a variety of activities to enjoy. Guests will learn about winemaking and stomp grapes, play Italian card games and listen to Italian music. An Italian lunch will be included for all tour participants.

The following week, on Saturday, Oct. 2, at 6 p.m., the Hershey History Center will present its 24th annual Preservation Gala at St. Joan of Arc Parish, 359 W. Areba Ave., Hershey. Highlights of the gala will include authentic Italian cuisine, live Italian music by Crooner Rich and a silent auction. An Italian Mass at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church will precede the gala at 5 p.m. The annual awards presentation will also be held during the gala, which recognizes homeowners and businesses that preserve their properties and buildings in keeping with their original design and architecture.

Because of the pandemic, the tour took place in 2020, but the gala did not. "There will be two tour scripts - one from last year and a brand-new tour focusing on different features of the Italian (community)," noted Soliday. The 2020 tour will visit the village of Swatara Station and the Italian-owned businesses throughout Hershey, with a stop at the Italian Lodge. The new tour will visit the original St. Joan of Arc Church and convent and the quarries.

The events are held in keeping with the mission of the Hershey History Center, which is "to preserve, promote and interpret" the heritage of the local community. "Every year we take our preservation event and create a theme that is tied to Hershey's history," Soliday explained. "One year it was focused on (the town of) Hershey (in) Cuba, which once produced sugar (for the Hershey chocolate factory). Another year we wrote, directed and produced a documentary on the Hershey Bears, and we premiered the documentary during the gala."

A link to purchase tickets for the gala and the tour can be found at http://www.hersheyhistory.org or http://www.facebook.com/hersheyhistory.org. For more information, call the history center at 717-520-0748.