Little Italy turns into an open-air chalk studio on Saturday, October 17, and Sunday, October 18, 2026, when the Galbani Bella Vita Fest returns to San Diego for its fourth year. Dozens of chalk artists paint Italian-themed pieces on the pavement while the neighborhood pours Italian wine, cooks on a Galbani demo stage, and plays live music with an Italian accent.
The festival is free and all ages. Only the wine garden costs money. It is produced by the ArtWalk San Diego team and timed to Italian Heritage Month. Here is what to know, from the festival’s official site and ticket page as of September 28, 2026.
The quick version
| When | Saturday, October 17, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, October 18, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Where | Little Italy, downtown San Diego. Central address: Piazza della Famiglia, 523 W. Date St., San Diego, CA 92101 |
| Highlights | Live chalk art on the streets, Italian wine tasting, Galbani cooking stage, Italian music, merchants, and food |
| Ages | All ages. Wine garden is 21+ |
| Admission | Free |
| Wine tickets | $20 for 5 tastes, $45 for 12, per day |
| Getting there | MTS Green Line to County Center/Little Italy |
| Official site | bellavitafest.com |
The chalk art
The festival’s 2026 page says more than 35 professional chalk artists will work on the streets, and KPBS’s event listing says 40-plus. Either way, the pieces are made live over the weekend and washed away afterward. The street art tradition goes back to 16th-century Italy, when traveling artists, many brought to cities to work on cathedrals, recreated paintings of the Madonna on the pavement. They became known as madonnari.
The festival notes that Little Italy had not had a chalk art festival since 2016 before Bella Vita brought the artists back.
Wine tasting
The Giardino del Vino (wine garden) pours more than 10 Italian wines from different regions of Italy, and the festival credits its partner Little Italy Market & Spirits for the imports. Tickets are for one day, include garden entry, and require a valid state-issued ID. Prices on the Events.com ticket page, which says they include required fees:
| Day | 5 tastes | 12 tastes |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday, Oct. 17 | $20 | $45 |
| Sunday, Oct. 18 | $20 | $45 |
KPBS’s event listing gives advance prices of $25 and $55, so check the ticket page before you buy. The festival says wine tickets can be bought in advance or on site. KPBS also mentions wine tastings from Italian winemakers along Vicolo del Vino.
What’s on the menu
There is Italian food for purchase from festival vendors and Italian merchants, plus Little Italy’s restaurants all around the festival footprint. The festival has not posted its 2026 food vendor list yet.
On the La Cucina Galbani Cooking Stage, Galbani chef Marco Sciortino leads cooking demonstrations, according to KPBS. Last year the stage sat at the north end of the festival near India and Grape streets and featured local Little Italy chefs alongside Chef Marco.
Music
The festival books local San Diego acts playing Italian and Italian-themed music, including classical opera and instrumental swing bands. The 2026 schedule has not been posted. For a sense of it, last year’s Main Stage on Fir Street included Rat Pack Reborn, Gypsy Swing Cats, and Opera A la Carte.
Getting there
- Trolley (recommended by the festival): The MTS Green Line stops at County Center/Little Italy, between Cedar and Beech streets on the western edge of the event. Walk east on Beech, turn left on India Street, and go one block to the south entrance.
- Rideshare: The designated pickup and drop-off points are 2008 India St. (north) and 1603 India St. (south).
- Driving from the north: Take I-5 South, exit Sassafras/Kettner, and continue south. From the south: Take I-5 North to the Hawthorne Street/Airport exit, keep left, and look for parking on the edge of the event.
- Parking: The festival’s preferred lot is 2100 Kettner (entrance on W. Ivy Street), which can be reserved in advance through Parkwell. There is also an underground garage under Piazza della Famiglia (entrance at 1730 Columbia St.) and the County of San Diego parking structure at Cedar Street and Kettner Boulevard. Street meters are free on Sunday. Watch for pay-and-display boxes if you don’t see a meter.
Family notes
The festival is free and all ages, and it invites visitors to bring the whole famiglia. Last year, ArtReach ran a Kids Chalk Zone where children drew Italian food-themed pictures with chalk pastels on black paper. The 2026 kids’ lineup has not been posted.
Also in Little Italy this October
Times of San Diego’s Little Italy roundup lists The Feast, a ticketed family-style dinner on India Street hosted by the Busalacchi Restaurants on Sunday, October 11, and Trick-or-Treat on India Street on Sunday, October 25.
Accessibility
The festival has not posted accessibility information. Questions can go through the festival’s contact page.
Still to come
The 2026 music schedule, cooking stage lineup, wine list, food vendors, and chalk artist roster had not been posted by September 28 (the festival’s pages still showed 2025 lists). The 824 Journal will update this guide when they are.
Sources
- Galbani Bella Vita Fest, official site (dates, hours, producer)
- Bella Vita Fest: Experience (fourth annual, chalk artists, wine partner, history)
- Bella Vita Fest: Getting Here (address, trolley, rideshare, parking)
- Events.com: Galbani Bella Vita Fest 2026 Wine Tasting (wine ticket prices and terms)
- KPBS: 2026 Galbani Bella Vita Fest (free, all ages, cooking stage, wine details)
- Bella Vita Fest: Entertainment (2025 schedule)
- Bella Vita Fest: La Cucina Galbani Cooking Stage (2025 schedule)
- Bella Vita Fest: Kids Chalk Area (2025)
- Times of San Diego: Little Italy News (September 28, 2026)
Featured photo: Visitor7 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
