Matriarca

Maria Assunta was born in Riace, Reggio Calabria in 1951, and migrated to Australia in October 1978. A seamstress by trade, she carried with her a deep love for Calabria, its culture, and its traditions, a passion she has shared with her daughter, grandchildren, and community ever since.

Festa's were the heartbeat of life back home. For most Calabrese, cultural and religious celebrations marked the highlights of the calendar year. In her own village of Riace, one of the most beloved of these is the feast of San Cosimo e Damiano, held each year in late September and drawing crowds from far and wide. As a seamstress, Maria played a cherished role in these celebrations, sewing the elaborate costumes worn by those who dressed as the Saints, each stitch an act of devotion.

Life in Melbourne was worlds apart from Calabria, yet Maria's spirit remained undiminished. Over the years, she embraced her new home while holding tight to her roots, participating in cultural and religious events such as the Feast of St Anthony in Hawthorn and the Lygon Street Festa.

Last year, Maria contributed to the Festa in a consulting role. This year, she steps into something greater, the title of Matriarca. She is the woman behind the women who brought this Festa to life.

La Forza delle Donne.

Co-Founder

Hi! I'm Michelle, a local business owner for the past 9 years right here in the heart of Capel Sound, the daughter of Calabrese immigrants and mother to 3 girls.

A girl with a big heart and a massive love for her Southern Italian culture; past, present, and looking to the future.

My love for festivals began in my hometown, Riace, Reggio Calabria, at a very young age, where my first memories were of music-filled streets, never-ending food, dancing to the beat of tambourines and organetto, and a community that was everything.

Those festivals brought me so much joy growing up, and now, I am on a mission to recreate the same magic here on the Mornington Peninsula. Through my business Unica Cucina e Caffè and other local events, I have spent years celebrating Italian culture through food, music and connection. This festival is a natural extension of that, a vibrant celebration of our heritage, our people, and the stories that bring us together.

I can't wait to share the joy with you.

Marketing Manager

As Marketing Manager, I lead the brand voice, social rollout, website, and the campaign that gets the Peninsula talking before November.

At 18, I run two companies out of Melbourne. Habits of The Few is a personal branding agency engineering reputation for founders, operators, and executives in the markets that matter. Atrium is a venture studio partnering with founders and creators to build AI-native companies from the inside, where AI is the default material, not the marketing line. I spend every day obsessing over how the next generation of companies gets built, and how the right story, told the right way, becomes the most valuable asset a person owns.

I'm bringing that obsession to the Festa. This isn't a campaign, it's a community coming together to celebrate something that matters. My job is to make sure the heart and heritage behind it reaches everyone who should be there, so when November rolls around the whole Peninsula knows, shows up, and feels part of it.

Chief Financial Officer

Fiona Denny is proud to serve as CFO of the MP Italian Festa, bringing both professional expertise and a deep personal connection to the event. Born and raised on the Mornington Peninsula to Calabrian parents, Fiona has a lifelong appreciation for Italian culture, community, and tradition.

A passionate advocate for local initiatives, Fiona has been actively involved in community events for many years, including dedicating seven years to the Make-A-Wish Mornington Peninsula branch, where she also served as President. Her commitment to giving back is matched by her entrepreneurial spirit, as a local business owner who understands the value of supporting and strengthening the community.

Fiona's love for all things Italian makes her role in the Festa even more meaningful, especially when it comes to celebrating food, culture, and connection. She looks forward to helping bring the event to life (and, of course, happily sampling the incredible offerings from all the vendors along the way).

Board & Administration Management

Growing up in a Calabrese family, tradition wasn't something we did, it was just life. I genuinely thought everyone had 15 fruit trees in their backyard and spent their Sundays rolling fresh pasta. Spoiler: they didn't.

It wasn't until I started school in Australia that it hit me, we were a little different. While my friends had a Granny and Pop, I had a Nonna and Nonno. And where other mums would call out "Tyra, come here!", mine would say "Mummy, come here!", Mamma being the very Italian way of calling your own child by the title you hold. (Took my friends a while to figure that one out.)

The older I got, the more I fell in love with where we came from. I learned the Tarantella before I could properly tie my shoes. I made pasta at my Nonna's side until I became the unofficial family expert on Crostoli, or Nacatoli, or Chiacchiere, depending on which corner of Italy you ask. I've been back home to our town in Italy more times than I can count, and every visit deepens that legame, that pull, that attachment, I feel in my blood.

So being part of the Board and Administration Management of the Festa this year? It feels like everything coming full circle. I'm currently studying a double degree in Law and Business, and this role is the perfect meeting point between my studies and the heritage I love so much.

Viva L'Italia. Viva La Festa. 🇮🇹

Director of Disability & Inclusion)

Rose Farfalla is the Founder and Owner of HappinessFirst, the first disability-supported employment workplace on the Mornington Peninsula.

She has over 15 years of professional experience in the disability sector, creating inclusive employment and support opportunities for people living with disability across Victoria and Queensland. Rose also brings over 6 years of lived experience as a mother supporting her beautiful daughter with disability, giving her both professional and personal insight into disability advocacy and accessibility.