Bloomfield, Pittsburgh’s historic Italian American neighborhood, will once again host the city’s 39th annual Columbus Day Parade — sponsored by Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) — on Saturday, October 10, at 11 a.m.
The 2026 Pittsburgh Columbus Day Parade will feature more than 100 bands, floats, organizations and businesses, each paying tribute to the city’s Italian American community — the fifth largest in the nation.
The parade will step off on Liberty Avenue near West Penn Hospital, marching toward the Bloomfield Bridge and passing the reviewing stand in front of St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church.
This year’s Grand Marshal is Henry DeLuca, a distinguished philanthropic leader and former teacher’s union president, whose family has owned Deluca’s Diner in the Strip District since 1951.
The parade, which will be emceed by KDKA-TV personality Jennifer Borrasso, will also celebrate the many cultures, which have helped shape the Pittsburgh region, reflecting a shared belief that we all stand on the shoulders of our ancestors. Participants in traditional dress will bring music, dance, homeland flags and colorful banners to Bloomfield, with groups representing Germany, Scotland, Croatia, India, Brazil, Ireland and Bulgaria, along with the Scandinavian Society’s five-country heritage. Lithuanian and Ukrainian participants will also share their cultural pride, inviting spectators of all backgrounds to celebrate traditions passed down through generations.
Attractions include young dancers from the Shovlin Academy performing the Irish jig; the Pure Gold Showband; the Jack Tady polka band representing Poland; and the Caribbean Vibes steel drum band bringing the sounds of the Caribbean Islands to the parade route. Chinese student dancers will showcase Chinese cultural traditions, while the Tamburitzans and Rankin Junior Tamburitzans will celebrate Eastern European heritage through music and dance. Together, these performers will make the parade a lively, family-friendly celebration of the diverse communities that call Pittsburgh home.
The parade’s executive committee is co-chaired by Cathy Costa Fusca (who has served on the committee since 1987) and Carmella Mullen.
And, a SPECIAL THANKS to organizer Rita Gatto Licnerski for her steadfast work in making this annual event a success.
Several ISDA leaders are attending and co-organizing the event, including National President Basil Russo, and Board Member and Victory Lodge President Ed Manfredi.
“Our strengths lie in our heritage, our families and our tenacious spirit,” said Russo. “Columbus Day parades honor that legacy, and by sharing it, we ensure it continues to define who we are.”
Additionally, several Italian American organizations will participate in the parade, including ISDA’s La Pace, Dante Alighieri and Victory lodges, joining thousands of attendees and participants in the annual celebration.
Turning the Tide for Columbus
Basil Russo — a local leader who has gone on to forge a nationwide Italian American advocacy coalition — prevented the abolishment of Columbus Day in Cleveland in 2019, spearheaded a lawsuit that restored the holiday in Philadelphia in 2025, and won a landmark appeal in Pittsburgh to halt the removal of the city’s 30-foot Columbus statue in 2024.
The most significant victory arrived this past spring when Russo, who also leads the Conference of Presidents of Major Italian American Organizations (COPOMIAO), teamed up with U.S. Congressman Mike Rulli and Saturday Night Live alum Joe Piscopo to broker the installation of a replica of Baltimore’s toppled Columbus statue in front of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, just steps from the White House.
Meanwhile, COPOMIAO National Counsel George Bochetto recently filed a federal lawsuit demanding the reinstallation of Columbus, Ohio’s namesake statue, which was taken down by city leaders in 2020 amid civil unrest.
Additionally, on the federal level, Russo met directly with the Biden Administration to offer guidance on the significant and often overlooked history binding the Italian American community to Columbus Day. These efforts culminated in the 2022, 2023, and 2024 Columbus Day Proclamations — historically accurate federal documents tracing the struggles and rise of Italian American culture.
See you in Bloomfield!
ABOUT ISDA
Tradition, history, family, and philanthropy have defined Italian Sons and Daughters of America (ISDA) since 1930. Our old school brick lodges and our 21st-century digital platforms bring together and reach millions of people every year, as we celebrate and promote the Italian American experience nationwide. Learn more.
