Participants

The folk-band ‘La Frustica’ di Faleria (VT) started in 1993. The musicians play a selection of wind and interesting instruments special to the band. They have been chaired by President Dott Angelo Curti and conducted by the orchestra leader Sergio Belardi since the beginning and have overthe years become more and more famous for their shows at many Italian and European carnivals and international festivals and abroad including the performing at the 1998 and 2000, Columbus Day Parade in New York, USA.

Since 2008, thanks to the expertise and professionalism of the choreographer Monica Rizzi, the crew have improved their choreographic abilities, which has enables them to participate in the ‘Musikparade’ in Germany in 2009, 2011 and the ‘Taptoe’ International Tattoo in Belgium in 2012.

Fun Fact: 

In 2016, at the request of the Dolce & Gabbana stylists, the group took part in the prestigious event in Naples to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the famous Italian Maison of Haute Couture, a performance D&G invited them to repeat in 2017 at the Christmas light switch on at London’s most famous department store.

Social Media 

Website: www.frustica.it

Facebook: @angelocurtifrustica

Video

The Associazione Filarmonice Vejanese was founded in 1906 in Vejano, a village in the Viterbo area with about two thousand souls. It is socially and culturally committed in the area in handling down the band tradition and the passion of music. Since 1992 it has been directed by Maestro Antonio Moretti who has expanded the concert and parade repertoire with songs ranging from classical to modern. The peculiar attention to the socio-educational aspect of music brings many people closer to the school and consequently to the band, which today has 120 members.

Fun Fact: 

The Vejanese Philharmonic Association is the official band of the Santa Rosa Machine Transport in Viterbo, recognised as a UNESCO intangible Heritage, for 25 years.

Social Media

Website: www.afvejanese.it

Twitter: @afvejanese 

Instagram: @_filarmonica_vejanese

Video

President: Ivano Cavaterra.

L’Associazione encompasses a team of non-profit associations specialised in historical re-enactment. Lead by the group leader A.R.S. AUXILIA LEGIONIS – APS, it only performs under this name during the ROME PARADE to offer a more heterogenous spectacle of the many historical figures of Ancient Rome.  Each association has its specific characteristics. As the groups represents different epochs of the Roman Empire, often the commands in latin do not coincide and some of the participant might respond with a different action which is quite amusing.  After the event and during the group socials, this is often reason of great amusement.

It is an association specialised in historical re-enactment of the ancillary division of Syrian archers, who were part of specific divisions of the Roman Empire during the I – II centuries AD.  The association was formed with a view to highlight and celebrate the ancillary divisions called “ Auxillia” and in particular the division of archers called Sagitarii. Each element of the Association is certified and among his members are also several archery instructors belonging to the Unione Italiana Sport Popolare.

Website: www.avxilialegionis.org

Facebook: @AVXILIA.LEGIONIS

Instagram: @avxilia.legionis/

YouTube: AVXILIA LEGIONIS

Under the direction of Ms. Samantha DeLuca.

Newark Charter High School, located in Newark, Delaware (USA), provides extensive music and performing arts experiences for its students. The music programme includes various choirs, an orchestra, two full concert band ensembles, a steel drum band, and a marching band for grades 9-12. Over the years, the Patriot Pride Band has received numerous awards for musicianship and character. Students involved in the band programme perform in semi-annual concerts and competitions, as well as local community and school-sponsored events. Performance highlights include Disney World in Orlando, Florida, USA in 2017, the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA in 2018 and 2019, and most recently the London New Year’s Day Parade in 2019.  After the COVID pandemic limited their in-person performances for nearly two years, the Newark Charter High School Marching Band is proud and excited to be a part of the Rome New Year’s Day celebrations!

Social Media

Website:  newarkcharterschool.org

Facebook:  @NCSmusicdepartment

Instagram:  @nchs_patriot_pride_band

Under the direction of Mr. Tim Huber.

The St. Paul’s Band programme is comprised of students from grade 5 to grade 12.  Students participate in concerts and competitions as well as individual events such as Solo and Ensemble, Honour Bands and All State Band.  A high percentage of band students participate in many other activities including sports, chorus, orchestra, art and academic teams. We are honoured to be a part of this year’s Rome Parade and the Frascati Festival.

Website:  www.stpaulsmobile.net

Instagram: sps_band

Director: Mr. Pasquale Brilli

The ancient art of flag waving which contributed to the creation of the Gruppo Storico e Sbandieratori di Castiglion Fiorentin dates back to the XII century.  At that time, in Europe and especially in Italy, great events, like the end of a war, would be celebrated with complex display of flag throwing carried out by the standard bearers of the military companies of the cities. This is why this discipline has been associated with peace and happiness.

In our nearly 40 years of shows, we performed at Football World Cups, Champions’ League Final, various Music Tours, Grand Prix at the Racecourse, Parties held at various Embassies, football matches of the Serie A and other championships, landings of the Amerigo Vespucci (Training tall ship ntd), Formula 1 Grand Prix etc.

Website: www.gruppostorico.com

Facebook: @sbandieratori

Twitter: @sbandieratori

Instagram: @gruppo_storico/

YouTube: @sbandieratoricasfno

under the direction of Mr. Joe Martin.

The Notre Dame Prep Marching Band has been in existence since 1999 with a total of 65 members today. The Prep Marching Band has performed nationally in Mackinaw City, Michigan, Orlando, Florida and Oahu, Hawaii as well as international in London as part of the London New Year’s Day Parade. The band has collected many awards over the years. The Marching Symphony and Jazz Bands have consistently received 1^st Divisions. The Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association named the Notre Dame Prep Jazz Combo as the Most Outstanding Combo in the state of Michigan for 2022.

Website: @ndpma.org/band

YouTube: @youtube

Vespa Side Car Tours, Rome

Mr. Luca di Trapano

Vespa Side Car Tours are the first tour company in Rome to offer this unique experience. This new, original and fun experience is ready to meet all your expectations of this perfect tour. Our custom built, modern and comfortable Vespa Side Cars will take you on a three hour ride through Rome led by an official guide who will drive you from one breath taking location to another.  The Vespa Side Car Tour company started in 2018 and since then, more than 10,000 people have lived and loved their experience with us.

Mr di Trapano is a tourist guide with a degree in art history.  He is very passionate and sensitive, and still very much in love with his work.  He spends his working days surrounded by beauty and like a modern minstrel he tries to convey to his guests  all the wonders that Rome has to offer. He narrates the story of the city and of those who lived there in a  period spanning over 2775 years, with anecdotes, legends and idiomatic expressions.

Social Media

Website: vespasidecartour.com

Instagram: @vespasidecartour

Under the direction of Michael Thursby, Director of Athletic Bands and Percussion.

The ‘Maverick Machine’ marching band from Minnesota State University Mankato returned to the field officially in the fall of 2013. In that time, the band has grown from 30 members to 150 members strong and is one of the fastest growing college marching programs in the Midwest.  The band has been selected to perform in Puerto Rico at the Three Kings Day Festival, at Pearl Harbor on New Year’s Day, for Super Bowl 52 events in Minneapolis, and for numerous other events.  The Maverick Machine prides itself on presenting energetic and contemporary halftime productions, with a goal to entertain our audience with a level of excellence and difficulty that is unique.

Artefatti Stilts started from an idea of its director, Miriam Abutori and by 1995 it was fully established in Rome. Since then, Artefatti Stilts have worked extensively in Italy and across Europe. They have collaborated with many different artists including Achille Lauro and participated in a variety of festivals, on MTV and other TV programmes, and in large events like the Venice Carnivale Parade, Rome Parade and the Festival Bar Show. They have worked with big brand names including Ducati and Corona. They are a regular feature at the Singita Miracle Beach Club.

Miriam Abutori is an actress, performer, stilt walker and singer. She trained in both classical and contemporary dance. She has also studied Butoh, a form of traditional Japanese Dance. Miriam founded the L’Accademia degli Artefatti in 1990 and since then she has been the choreographer, set designer and director of the group. She is also responsible for the design and realisation of the group’s costumes.

Social Media

Instagram: https://youtube.com/artefattiperformance?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

YouTube https://youtube.com/user/adaperformanceTV

YouTube @ArtefattiStilts

About:

Director Afton Fox Beadles.

Spirit of America Productions are based in Dallas, Texas, USA. They provide parade performance opportunities to high school and college cheerleaders and dancers. Nationally, performances produced and choreographed by their staff, include the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York and the Miss American Boardwalk Parade in Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA.  Internationally Spirit of America have performed in the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland and London’s New Year’s Day Parade in London, UK. Amazingly their staff have been producing performance for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for the past 36 years. This will be their first time performing in the Rome Parade.

Website: www.SpiritofAmericaProductions.com

Facebook: SpiritofAmericaProductions

Instagram: SOAProductions

President Antonio Damo

The Group Majorettes ‘Magic Stars’ from Jesolo, is proud of its forty years’ experience of performing traditional routines and its ten years’ experience dancing in the world of sport. As a member of the NBTA, in recent years, the group has following two parallel paths that has seen them travelling across Italy and abroad to take part in an amazing variety of events. They have been participating in numerous national, European and world competitions where they have succeeded in achieving excellent results with not only their current team but with their previous one too. Internationally, they were invited to represent the Italian National Team at the Polish Majorettes Championships in 2015 and in 2018 they participated in London’s New Year’s Day Parade.

Facebook: @majorettesmagicstarsjesolo

Instagram: @majorettesjesolo_magicstars

President Roberto Bonifetto

La Vigoneisa Folk Band is based in Vigone, near Turin. The band was re-established in 1968 from the ashes of a group that had been in existance since the nineteenth century. In 1970, it was one of the first Piedmontese bands to welcome majorettes into the group. Today the musicians and majorettes perform as one offering a multisensory, lively musical show with catchy, modern tunes in the big band style and exciting choreography of the majorettes wearing their stylish, bright, white and red traditional uniforms. Since the 1970s, La Vigoneisa Folk Band and Majorettes have travelled far and wide taking part in local parades and carnivals in Viareggio, Taormina, Ventimiglia, Nice and the parade in Moscow’s Red Square in 1992. In the 2006 they performed in theTurin Olympics, Il Giro d’Italia and most recently they have appeared on TV on the RAI Channels.

Website: www.lavigoneisa.it

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaVigoneisa

Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/bandamusicalelavigoneisa

YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/lavigoneisa

The Golden Stars Sabine Majorettes Association was founded in 1995 in Selci, Italy. From the very beginning, the group was coached by Monica Rizzi and from 2019 by trainers Ramona Mostocotto and Elisa Virgili. Their close relationship with many marching bands in their local area allows them to be part of the age old popular Italian tradition of performing with bands in a wide variety of prestigious international events. At the same time as performing they train for the Italian Majorettes Sport Championships which we have taken part in for the last six years. Thanks to the various category qualifications, they have also participated in the European and in the World Championships flying their beloved Italian flag in many different countries. Many trips… some very far away. Many planes… some nearly missed. Endless workouts… which often ended with pizza and karaoke…… all unite the different generations in a common passion of working hard to be rewarded by powerful emotions.

Website: goldenstarssabine.it

Facebook: Majorettes Golden Stars Sabine

Twitter: Golden Stars Sabine

Instagram : majorettes_golden_stars_sabine

President Roberta Gennari

The Majorettes di Casperia were established in Casperia in 1995 and are the embodiment of an artistic folk group. Over the years, their repertoire has continued to develop which has allowed them to perform in various events both in Italy and internationally, particularly in Spain, Czech Republic, France, Switzerland and Corfu and New York City, USA, as part of the Columbus Day parade. Nationally, they have performed at the International Festival of Bands and Majorettes in Giulianova. Being part of Majorettes di Casperia has been described like having a second family. Not only for the performers but their families as well. Working together has given them a strong sense of empathy towards each other, created deep bonds and has helped each one grow as human being. Their motto is Unity is strength.

Facebook: Majorettes of Casperia – Rieti

Instagram : majorettesdicasperi

Maestro Aldo Surio

The origins of La Banda di Fiano Romano are steeped in history. There was a group of musicians already present in Fiano at the end of the XIX century, as shown by pictures and documents from the period. The first official acknowledgment of this group of musicians by the Municipal Council was on the 5 January 1902, exactly 120 years ago! Over the many years, the band has performed in various and important events. The band performs in parades to the sound of cheerful bright marches and offers a repertoire of static performances playing a wide range of popular music and symphonic marches. The staff includes four generations of musicians, many of which are highly experienced music teachers.

Website: www.bandamusicalefianoromano.it

Facebook: @bandamusicalefiano

Instagram: banda_musicale_fiano_romano

YouTube: youtube.com/playlist

Maestro Lt. Mario Muraglione

The Band was founded 50 years ago, in 1972, in the wake of the centuries-old tradition of the band of Cava. The “Giacomo Puccini” band has to its credit has participated in a variety of RAI programmes including Unomattina, I Cervelloni and Regalo di Natale. They have also toured across Italy to Sicily, Puglia, Trentino, Lombardy, Campania and internationally to Belgium, Austria, Spain, Croatia and France. The Band has 45 young musicians who love coming together to make music and enjoy life. The “Giacomo Puccini” is perhaps the only musical band in the world that has performed on several occasions in the presence several different Popes over the past 50 years. Most recently they have played for John Paul II in 1983,1994,1995; Benedict XVI in 2006 and 2012; Francis in 2013,2016,2021.

Facebook: giacomopuccinicave

Instagram: bandamusicalepuccinicave

Presented and supplied by Megaflatables

Welcoming in 2023 with a bang! Well hopefully not literally in this case. The Rome New Year balloon starts off the celebrations of all things Rome brandishing the colours of the Italian flag and one of the most iconic sights of the Eternal City, the magnificent Colosseum.

Balloon handlers for Rome Parade are students and supporters of St Paul’s Episcopal School Chorale and Newark Charter High School Concert Choir.

Megaflatables are one of the market leaders in inflatable advertising, supplying every conceivable shape and size balloon, blimp, even including an inflatable projection screen, to over 40 countries worldwide. Their motto is ‘if you can think it, we can make it’. Megaflatables are excited to be taking part in Rome Parade once again. As always, it is the highlight of our year!

Website: www.megaflatables.com

Twitter: @megaflatables1

Instagram: @megaflatables

Presented and supplied by Megaflatables

Representing the great Senators of ancient Rome like, Julius Cesar, Cicero, Augustus and Constantine the Great, our Senator is larger than life and carrying in his hand the first proclamation of 2023 which tells us all to enjoy the Rome Parade and to wish you all a happy new year!

Balloon handlers for Rome Parade are students and supporters of St Paul’s Episcopal School Chorale and Newark Charter High School Concert Choir.

Megaflatables are one of the market leaders in inflatable advertising, supplying every conceivable shape and size balloon, blimp, even including an inflatable projection screen, to over 40 countries worldwide. Their motto is ‘if you can think it, we can make it’. Megaflatables are excited to be taking part in Rome Parade once again. As always, it is the highlight of our year!

Website: www.megaflatables.com

Twitter: @megaflatables1

Instagram: @megaflatables

Presented and supplied by Megaflatables

Brandishing his trident, shield and stern face our Gladiator is always on the alert and ready to fight for his life to entertain the crowds. Will Caesar give him a closed fist or an open hand to let him fight another day.

Balloon handlers for Rome Parade are students and supporters of St Paul’s Episcopal School Chorale and Newark Charter High School Concert Choir.

Megaflatables are one of the market leaders in inflatable advertising, supplying every conceivable shape and size balloon, blimp, even including an inflatable projection screen, to over 40 countries worldwide. Their motto is ‘if you can think it, we can make it’. Megaflatables are excited to be taking part in Rome Parade once again. As always, it is the highlight of our year!

Website: www.megaflatables.com

Twitter: @megaflatables1

Instagram: @megaflatables

Presented and supplied by Megaflatables

The fearless and feared Centurion in his iconic Roman legionnaire’s uniform flies above the crowds ever-ready to form the famous impenetrable turtle battle formation to protect Rome from any marauding barbarians.

Balloon handlers for Rome Parade are students and supporters of St Paul’s Episcopal School Chorale and Newark Charter High School Concert Choir.

Megaflatables are one of the market leaders in inflatable advertising, supplying every conceivable shape and size balloon, blimp, even including an inflatable projection screen, to over 40 countries worldwide. Their motto is ‘if you can think it, we can make it’. Megaflatables are excited to be taking part in Rome Parade once again. As always, it is the highlight of our year!

Website: www.megaflatables.com

Twitter: @megaflatables1

Instagram: @megaflatables

The “Amaseno Marching Band” continues the legacy of a musical group formed in 1980 by Maestro Natalino Como from a group of young men passionate about music.The group started taking its first steps in the world of Marching Bands in 2005.  Its repertoire, instruments and transcriptions differ from the traditional Italian bands as the group takes its inspiration from American High School Marching Bands. Their parade songs are powerful and engaging whilst their concert pieces are more refined. Their talented woodwind, brass and percussion sections strive to achieve excellence in sound and movement to express energy and strength. The band’s musical preparation is entrusted to music teachers from a local music school with the Band Director Natalino Como bring it all together.

Since 1986, the group has participated, in most of the important music events in Italy and Europe. In 2009, “Amaseno Marching Band” participated, for the first time, in the Marching Show Band World Championship in Kerkrade The Netherlands, winning 9th place in the final.  Thanks to their success, the group earned a place in the World Championships entering the “World Division Corps Style Class” category.

Website: www.amabanda.it

‘Amilcare, gentleman of the world’, during their countless travels, even across the Channel, have collected a wide variety of pedal wonders of the world, from the elegant Penny Farthing (velocipede) to the agile Velocipedino, from the majestic Cargo Chopper, to the incredible Bicinversa, amongst many others. Amilcare Polpacci leads the circus with pedals transforming the street into a catwalk, the squares into circus tracks and the sidewalks into stages with lots of limelight. The project was created with the full support from crowd funding. ‘The Commodore ate so many oysters and drank so much Chardonneat the Osteria del Moro in Orvito that he no longer distinguished his faithful mount, and then climbed astride the plow like a planter of the restaurant and drove it to Pavia.’

Website: www.chienbarbu.it

Facebook: @compagniapolpacci

President: Francesco Cenfi

The lively and frenetic “Saltarella Amatrice” shines among the folk dance groups with its contagious rhythm. The synergy between musicians and dancers is fundamental as during the dance a real dialogue is created between the muscial and choreographic parts. The instruments used are those still present today in the local tradition: the two-bass accordion, the ‘ciaramella’, a simple reed bagpipe with two singing pipes and a  wineskin, and the tambourine. The conservation of the saltarella carried out by the Folkloristic Group Ma’trù is due to their desire to maintain and continue the cultural roots of their land.

“Ape Calessino” is the Italian name for the Asian “tuk tuk” but to be honest, they are not the same. The Ape Calessino, like Vespa, is produced by Piaggio as part of our ‘Made in Italy’ campaign celebrating all that is Italian. In this Italian classic vehicle we will show you the very heart of our Italian Lifestyle. So get on board the Ape Calessino to enjoy the magnificent Eternal City with us. We can also offer you a wide range of private tours, including food and wine tours to Rome and throughout Italy in a variety of classic Italy vehicles.

Social Media: www.38incoming.it