09/03/2026
This is going to be a fun event! For those who don't know, Patricia Civitate is our Grandma Anne Marie Vacco's sister. Their maiden name is Rand. See the shared post and graphic for details. Let's show Auntie Pat how much she is appreciated!
Pat Civitate
I’m not sure there is anyone in our Italian and Italian American community who has done more to preserve and celebrate our culture than Pat Civitate.
Pat has given so much to our community over the years. Teaching classes, organizing festivals, attending events, sharing traditions and, quite possibly more than anything else, being one of the biggest cheerleaders for the Italian American experience in Des Moines.
She has helped give generations of us a true sense of pride in being both Italian and American.
On September 5, we are going to celebrate Pat in a very fitting way.
We’re firing up the wood-burning oven she had built at the Italian American Cultural Center.
That oven stands there as a symbolic monument to our heritage. It is a beautiful thing to see when you drive by, but it represents something much bigger. It represents the food, traditions and culture that people like Pat have worked so hard to preserve. Hopefully, it also inspires another generation to dig a little deeper into their own Italian American story.
Come join us for a picnic with Pat on September 5 from 2:00 to 4:00 PM as we fire up the oven, share some food and celebrate a true Southside Italian American legend.
Pat Civitate.
