What Is Liberation Day?
Every year in Italy, April 25th is celebrated as the end of the fascist regime and the Nazi occupation during World War II. Since it falls on a Tuesday this year, and we bet that you didn’t get that day off, we planned you a Liberation Weekend for April 28 – 30 in and around Atlanta.
What to Eat
This holiday is marked with food festivals and with big family meals at home. There’s not a go-to dish for the holiday — the tradition is to make a meal with ingredients in season during springtime. So head to your local market and get a bunch of whatever looks delicious. The East Atlanta Farmers Market opened back up earlier this month, so browse the stalls for locally grown vegetables, artisanal cheeses, and fresh herbs. If you pick up some mushrooms from Crack in the Sidewalk Farmlet or Cosmos Organic Farm, you can try this recipe for Mixed Spring Mushrooms with Garlic Butter and Pine Nuts from Williams-Sonoma. (Frankly, if you make anything “with garlic butter and pine nuts” this weekend, please invite me over. I’ll bring the wine.) Want to make something a bit more adventurous and hand-on? I would also accept a lunch invitation from anyone making this Roasted Beet Gnocchi with Brown Butter Sage Sauce from Fine Cooking.
Perhaps cooking isn’t your thing. Perhaps you’re more the type who enjoys eating the traditional Italian food that someone else has made. In that case, we’re here for you. In Italy, most people don’t have a choice about whether or not they cook at home on Liberation Day, as restaurants close on public holidays. But you’re in Atlanta, so you can come on over to Il Giallo for a Liberation Lunch. (That’s a term we just made up. Feel free to make liberal use of it.) If wild mushrooms sounded delicious, we have pappardelle with fluted edged noodles, garlic, Georgia shrimp, and mixed mushrooms that should hit the spot.
What to Do
This is a great weekend to explore Georgia’s contribution to the war effort, and an end to fascism is worth celebrating both at home and abroad.
Fort Stewart Military Museum
This U.S. Army-run institution in Hinesville is family-friendly, free to the public, and features an array of artifacts and exhibits from Georgia’s military history. Check out World War II artifacts at the largest military base west of the Mississippi.
Admission: Free
Stephens County History Museum and Currahee Military Museum
During the second World War, 17,000 soldiers trained to become paratroopers here. Today, the newly renovated train depot in Toccoa preserves and shares the history of Georgia’s veterans from from the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.
Admission: $10 for adults. Free for active military and children under 6. Discounts for seniors, students.
National Infantry Museum and Soldier Center
This huge museum opened in 2009, and as such, it features new, immersive exhibitions and attractions. But don’t let the high-tech shininess fool you into thinking they aren’t serious about American history: This museum contains over 70,000 authentic artifacts. Dedicated to honoring the legacy and valor of the U.S. Infantryman’s fight against global tyranny, the center is a fitting place to celebrate the fall of fascism in Italy this weekend.
Admission: $5 suggested donation
Gwinnett’s Fallen Heroes Memorial
If you want to stay closer to home, you can honor the local soldiers of World War II on the grounds of Lawrenceville’s Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center. This memorial is dedicated to local heroes who died in military or public safety service, and includes the names of about 700 individuals. Come here to see the breadth of our area’s citizens who sacrificed their lives for the common good.
Admission: Free
Support a good cause in memory of Liberation Day
No Kid Hungry is a charity program that seek to end child hunger for every boy and girl in the United States, and il Giallo is supporting that cause.
If you’d like to contribute, join us May 10, 2017, for our Mondavi Wine Dinner. Proceeds will be used to help our team raise additional funds during the Chefs Cycle event for No Kid Hungry. We guarantee an amazing experience for you and your guests during the five course dinner, paired with Robert Mondavi’s signature wines.
