Various Toledo-area communities have created a host of events leading up to the 42nd Italian Bowl on July 1, at the University of Toledo’s Glass Bowl Stadium.
The 42nd Italian Bowl is the final playoff game of the Italian Football League. The two best teams will square off for the title of “champion of Italy”, as well as the scudetto, a prestigious patch of the Italian flag sown onto the jerseys of the Italian sports clubs that won the championship of the highest division of their respective sport in the previous season. This marks the first time that the championship game has been held outside of the European continent.
The first pregame event is the “Passport to the Taste of Italy” Restaurant Week, running through Saturday, June 24. Thirty-five restaurants from Toledo, Maumee, Perrysburg, Oregon, Holland and Blissfield are set to participate, offering an Italianstyle entrée, dessert and drink.
Patrons can vote at their table for their favorite restaurants via a QR code, which will allow them to purchase tickets for the Italian Bowl.
The top five restaurants with the most votes will be entered into the Judge’s Choice contest, which will be broadcast on Buckeye Cable on Monday, June 26. The event will be held at the Venues at 540 South St. Clair Avenue, Toledo.
The top three restaurants will be awarded trophies at the Italian Bowl, along with the restaurant with the most people’s choice votes.
The second event is the Mayor’s Cup, which will be held from noon to 5 p.m., Sunday, June 25, at Central Catholic High School. Sponsored by Ram Construction and Foundation Steel, Mayor Wade Kapsukiewicz has invited northwest Ohio mayors to participate in a skills competition.
There will be tailgating, food vendors, children’s activities organized by the YMCA and performances by the Central Catholic dance team.
The competition will be televised live on BCSN, and the winning mayor will be awarded the first-ever Mayor’s Cup at the Italian Bowl half-time festivities.
Mayors slated to participate include Mayor Kapsukiewicz, Rossford’s Neil Mackinnon III, Perrysburg’s Tom Mackin and more than 10 other mayors from northwest Ohio cities.
On Friday, June 30, a youth football camp will be held for children ages seven through 14, featuring various NFL players from Toledoarea high schools along with members of the high school teams. The camp will be held at St. John’s Jesuit High School’s Lyden Field. To register for the camp, visit the events page at italian bowlusa.com.
On the day of the Italian Bowl, tailgating will take place in the parking lot of the Glass Bowl Stadium, complete with live music and a unique Toledo Night Market, where refreshments, food and artisan goods will be offered. The lot opens at 10 a.m., and the night market begins at 3 p.m., ending at 10 p.m.
Capping off the festivities will be the City of Toledo’s Independence Day firework display will be held along the Toledo riverfront downtown. The fireworks will begin at 10 p.m.
To purchase tickets for the Italian Bowl or learn more about the events, visit italianbowlusa.com.
