The Columbus Day Parade in New York City will take place on October 12th. New York is the birthplace of the parade, and the annual event is the largest such celebration in the country with 35,000+ marchers and over 1 million attendees. This year’s parade will mark 82 years of being sponsored and organized by The Columbus Citizens Foundation (CCF), an NFP dedicated to promoting Italian-American heritage and achievement.
This year’s corporate sponsor will be the iconic Italian olive oil producer Fillipo Berio, founded in 1835. In 2025, the company hired Giacomo Campinoti as CEO, based on his strong record of financial leadership roles with premiere Italian brands in America. This will mark the first year of the Fillipo Berio partnership with the CCF in sponsoring the parade. We had the pleasure of speaking with Mr. Campinoti about this partnership and how it aligns with their brand, mission and ethos.
Where does Fillipo Berio fit into the vast landscape of extra virgin olive oils from Italy?
Filippo Berio is what I like to define as an “affordable premium” brand: the quality and heritage behind our products go well beyond what their price point might suggest, making authentic Italian quality accessible to a very broad audience.
What is the reason for this inaugural partnership with the CCF in the sponsoring of the parade?
I believe Filippo Berio is one of the brands most naturally suited to partner with the Columbus Citizens Foundation. We have been selling our products in the United States and particularly in New York for way more than a century. We are an authentic Italian brand whose mission has always been to elevate the quality of food on American tables.
Why is this important to Fillipo Berio?
For Italians, food is never just food. It is not simply fuel that keeps us going. The table is where we sit with our families, our friends and sometimes with people we have never met before. It is a moment when we step away from our daily routine, even if only for a little while and pay attention to what surrounds us. We listen to others and are listened to. We exchange opinions, share our problems, celebrate our joys, discuss our doubts and very often, find common ground, sometimes reconciliation or even an answer.
The table brings people together and the better the food we share, the more meaningful and memorable that experience becomes.
How does this align with the mission of the CCF?
There is a very natural connection between Filippo Berio and the Columbus Citizens Foundation by celebrating our Italian heritage not simply by looking back at where we came from, but by using the values behind that heritage: food, family, community and the table to continue bringing people together in America today.
And will you be bringing people together in New York for the parade?
Yes! I will be coming to New York with my family for the entire Columbus Weekend celebration and riding on a float during the parade.
