Festivals Explorer: Feast of the Seven Fishes – Italian-American Tradition, Eisner-Nominated Book, Fairmont Festival, and Feature Film
Robert Tinnell, Festivals Explorer
West Virginia native Robert Tinnell is an accomplished writer, director, and producer with expertise across film, graphic novels, and media. He recently adapted his Eisner Award-nominated graphic novel, Feast of the Seven Fishes, into a feature film starring Madison Iseman, Skyler Gisondo, Joe Pantoliano, and Paul Ben-Victor.
The Tradition
As a child, I didn’t even know it was called the Feast of the Seven Fishes—or La Vigilia, its traditional name in Italy. It was simply our Christmas Eve ritual: fun, family-focused, and featuring incredible seafood. Italian-American families across West Virginia and the U.S. gathered for multicourse meals with baccalà, smelt, calamari, oysters, and occasionally eel or octopus.
The Book
I soon recognized the need to preserve these cherished recipes. In 1994, I recorded my grandfather and great-uncles preparing the feast. Years later, this inspired a romantic comedy graphic novel centered on the tradition. It started as an online comic strip, evolved into a collected book, and earned an Eisner Award nomination.
Buoyed by the book's success, my friend Lou Spatafore proposed a holiday festival in my hometown of Fairmont. Thus, the Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival was born.
The Festival
On Saturday, December 14, 2019, the fourteenth annual Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival lit up Monroe Street in Downtown Fairmont. Attracting over 10,000 attendees, the event offered a vibrant street market with food, drinks, shopping, live Italian-American holiday music, heated tents, and authentic festive cheer.
The evening prior, on December 13, my wife Shannon Colaianni Tinnell—author of the cookbook section in the original book and an upcoming culinary history of West Virginia—hosted the annual Festival Cucina. This intimate cooking class featured demonstrations by seven chefs, including irresistible spicy shrimp, with generous tastings for all.
The 2019 festival kicked off Fairmont’s 200-year celebration, alongside Coal Miners Appreciation Day & Swap Meet at Arts & Antiques Marketplace, culminating in the city’s Christmas Parade.
The Movie
While thrilled by the tradition's growing fame, my ultimate goal was a film adaptation. Remarkably, we assembled a stellar cast, and I directed the movie in my grandparents’ former home in Rivesville and other Marion County locations. Now available in theaters and on demand, it’s earning rave reviews.
The 2019 release made that holiday unforgettable. A special screening occurred on Sunday, December 15, at Tygart Cinemas, followed by my Q&A. Fans now visit filming sites, with the Marion County CVB providing cine-tourist maps.
During the festival, savor Marion County’s culinary gems: Muriale’s Restaurant and Colasessano’s Pizza for Italian classics; Country Club Bakery’s original pepperoni roll; Short Story Brewing’s craft beers; and iconic hot dogs at Woody’s (a film location) and Yann’s Hot Dogs near the “Million Dollar Bridge” (now the Robert H. Mollohan-Jefferson Street Bridge).
Though recipes vary by family, the Feast endures and thrives. West Virginia, especially Marion County, is at the heart of its revival.
For more information, visit the Marion County CVB.
