Upcoming Events
EVERYONE IS WELCOME TO THE EVENTS AT THE ITALIAN CENTER!
JOIN US FOR SOME ITALIAN HOSPITALITY!
At the Italian Cultural Society it is our mission to serve the cultural needs of our community by providing some of the best and most unique cultural and traditional events and activities in our region. Events which can not be found elsewhere, that enable us and our community to learn about Italian heritage and history while strengthening Italian unity and identity.
Several events are offered throughout the year at the Italian Center; our community is invited to attend and enjoy some Italian hospitality!
SCROLL DOWN TO PREVIEW ALL UPCOMING EVENTS
EVENTS AT A GLANCE
All events and films are presented at the Italian Center,
6821 Fair Oaks Blvd., Carmichael 95608
Admission is $10 unless otherwise noted
Doors open 30 minutes early!
Refreshments Included
"TUTTI A TAVOLA" COOKING CLASS
LEARN HOW TO MAKE GNOCCHI
WITH INSTRUCTOR DIANA QUILICI
(Saturday, September 13 at 2:00 - 4:00pm)
"FOLLOW THE BOYS"
FRIDAY NIGHT ITALIAN FILM
(Friday, September 19 at 7:30pm)
"CELEBRATE ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH & COLUMBUS DAY TOGETHER!"
CULTURAL FESTA CELEBRATING ITALIAN HERITAGE
(Sunday, October 12 at 11:00 - 3:00pm)
EVERYONE IS WELCOME - OPEN TO PUBLIC
"NEVER TOO LATE FOR LOVE"
FRIDAY NIGHT ITALIAN FILM
(Friday, October 17 at 7:30pm)
"THE LOVE OF SAN DEMETRIO"
VISITING AUTHOR PRESENTATION
(Sunday, November 2 at 1:30pm)
MONTOLIVA VINEYARD AND WINERY
TASTING & ANTIPASTI
HOSTED BY THE ITALIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY
(Saturday, November 15 at 3:00 - 5:00 pm)
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED
"TUTTI A TAVOLA" COOKING CLASS
LEARN HOW TO MAKE ITALIAN SAUSAGE & PEPPERS WITH INSTRUCTOR DIANA QUILICI
(Saturday, December 6 at 2:00 - 4:00pm)
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED, SPACE LIMITED
TUTTI A TAVOLA! COOKING CLASS
"Learn To Make
Potato Gnocchi"
WITH INSTRUCTOR DIANA QUILICI
Saturday, September 13, 2025
2:00 - 4:00 pm
At the Italian Center:
6821 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael 95608
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED:
(PAY AT THE DOOR)
Seats Are limited to the first 16 people who sign up
Throughout the years the unassuming gnocchi has taken on many forms and ingredients and even today most regions have their own dumpling/gnocchi which may or may not include potato in the recipe. In the nineteenth century, Pellegrino Artusi who is known as the grandfather of Italian cuisine published a recipe for potato gnocchi which is what we still prepare today. Gnocchi is formed to make grooves and a pocket where the sauce can reside assuring that each bite is perfect and delicious.
Celebrate Italian food at this fun 2-hour class making potato gnocchi with a brown butter herb sauce.
FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIES
Italian film is as much a part of Italian culture as the food and the people...
"Follow The Boys" Starring Connie Francis
Friday, September 19, 2025
7:30 pm
Admission $10
At the Italian Center:
6821 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael 95608
Singer Connie Francis is an icon among Italian Americans. The first woman to top the Billboard 100 charts. "Follow The Boys" is the follow- up movie to her 1960s movie "Where the Boys Are."
In "Follow the Boys," Connie Frances (Concetta Rosa Maria Franconero), Americas No. 1 recording star belts out four new songs in this hilarious story of the wives and sweethearts who follow their Navy men from port to Riviera port. The French and Italian Rivieras provide a spectacular scenic backdrop as they journey from Cannes to Santa Margherita in a jalopy following the fleet along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea.
Her hit songs like "Who's Sorry Now" and "Mamma," an Italian classic in Italy which she sung in English in 1959, were pure gold during the Golden Age of American Pop Music in the 1950's and 1960's.
In English, 1963
Refreshments included
Doors open at 7:00pm
CLICK TO WATCH FILM TRAILER
ITALIAN AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH
"Celebrate
Italian Heritage and Columbus Day Together!"
Sunday, October 12, 2025
11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Admission $15
FREE TO KIDS 18 & UNDER
At the Italian Center:
6821 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael 95608
CLICK TO PURCHASE EVENT TICKETS
EVENT RAFFLE GRAND PRIZE:
WINE TASTING FOR 2
AT CASTELLO DI AMOROSA
in the beautiful Napa Valley
FIRST PRIZE:
A REGIONAL COLOR MAP OF THE ITALIAN PENINSULA ETCHED IN WOOD ON A HANDMADE FRAME, 36" x 24"
RAFFLE TICKET PRICES:
1 for $10 / 3 for $25 / 7 for $50
FRIDAY NIGHT MOVIES
Italian film is as much a part of Italian culture as the food and the people...
"Never Too Late
For Love"
Friday, October 17, 2025
7:30 pm
Admission $10
At the Italian Center:
6821 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael 95608
This romantic comedy stars the ever-popular Booke Shields as Charlene, the American wife of a struggling Italian artist in New York’s cutting-edge art scene. Just one problem, he’s already married.
When Maria (Maria Grazia Cucinotto - Il Postino), Vincenzo’s Italian wife crosses the Atlantic with her two kids, she s less than thrilled to find her husband living with the very pregnant Charlene, whose fury can match anything Maria can dish out. The personal and cultural clashes between Vincenzo’s two families make for a tense environment but soon find themselves united against a businessman (Chevy Chase) who tries to exploit both Maria and Charlene. Love takes a beating and comes back fighting in this unconventional comedy about and unconventional family.
ADMISSION $10
DOORS OPEN AT 7:00 PM
REFRESHMENTS INCLUDED
MEET THE AUTHOR
"The Love Of San Demetrio"
LOUIS G. BRUNO, JR.
Sunday November 2, 2025
1:30 pm
Admission $10
At the Italian Center:
6821 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael 95608
For those with Italian roots, visiting the homeland can be a deeply moving and transformative experience - especially when setting foot in the village of one's ancestors.
Walking the same streets they once did, taking in the landscapes they called home, and immersing oneself in local traditions can create an undeniable sense of connection. The sights, sounds and even scents of the Paese evoke a feeling of belonging. It's more than just a journey; it's a profoundly spiritual homecoming.
Visiting author, Louis Bruno experienced this firsthand when he visited San Demetrio Ne' Vestini, a village in the province of L' Aquila in the Abruzzo region. His grandparents emigrated from San Demetrio to Midland, Pennsylvania, a small steel town. His first trip to San Demetrio in 2006 was life changing. Lou Grew up in an extended Italian family. In looking back on the journey of his ancestors, Lou reconnected with his ancestral home. His book captures the enduring bonds of family one generation at a time and the deep yearning to understand our roots. Lou is flying in from Orlando. Florida for this presentation at the Italian Center. He invites us to more deeply reflect on our own stories. We will have time to share stories at this event.
His book can be purchased at the event in English or Italian, or on Amazon.
Refreshments included
Doors open at 1:30pm
THE ITALIAN CULTURAL SOCIETY PRESENTS
"Montoliva Vineyard & Winery
Tasting and Antipasti
Saturday, November 15, 2025
3:00 - 5:00 pm
Admission $40
Reservation Required
At the Italian Center:
6821 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael 95608
Boasting some of the most unique Southern and Central Italian varietals, the humble but mighty vineyards under Vintner Mark Henry’s care may seem out of place in the foothills of Northern California. You won’t find Chardonnay or Pinot grapes hanging from Montoliva’s vines, but what you will find are rarities such as Falanghina, Teroldego, Aleatico, Negroamaro, Vermentino, Dolcetto, Nero d’Avola, and many others.
Originally settled in the late 1800s by Italian immigrants from Chicago, IL, who were searching for an escape from American urban life, Chicago Park, CA offered a return to something more closely resembling the country they had left behind. Unbeknownst to the founders, their new home shared nearly identical soil composition, elevation, and climate with many regions of Italy.
In his own words, Mark explained to me how he stumbled upon Chicago Park—learning far more about geology than he ever intended in the process. From a purely technical perspective, it made perfect sense, but I still had one lingering question: Why such unique and specific Italian varietals?
Born on a farm into the blue-collar logging community of Roseburg, Oregon in the 1950s, and grandson to a Baptist minister, Mark will be the first to tell you his upbringing was about as far from la dolce vita as one can imagine. Steeped in the Protestant work ethic and surrounded by roughneck lumberjacks, Mark enlisted in the United States Army at 17 and was shipped to Europe shortly after, where he encountered his first love: German beer.
For years, Mark was deeply entrenched in the early days of the American craft beer industry. But when it came time to start a family of his own, his mind kept returning to his childhood on the farm in Roseburg. During this period, Mark traveled extensively through Italy, encountering a culture that stood in stark contrast to the Calvinist “live to work” tradition of his upbringing. Coming from a world where food and drink were little more than fuel for the workday, he was captivated by Italian culture, where food, wine, and their enjoyment with friends and family are venerated as essential daily rituals. Mark quickly fell in love—particularly with the Southern Italian idea of 'a domani', or simply, “it can wait until tomorrow.”
It was this slowing down of life—the pause to savor the simple things, and the care taken in doing them well—that transformed once-overlooked aspects of daily living into sources of deep passion and pride. That love of Italian culture grew into both a life and livelihood for Mark, who made a home for himself and his children among the vines. True to his craft, the long, slow fermentation style of his wines mirrors his newfound tempo for life, taking time and care in all things.
If and when you muster your tastebuds and visit Mark at Montoliva, you’ll find this to be true. While the craft and quality of his vintages speak for themselves, the act of slowing down and sitting on the patio overlooking the fields—as Mark engages you in an hours-long conversation spanning the technical details and science of the grapes in your glass, as well as the history of their Italian origins—creates an experience that is uniquely Italian. Mark’s love and passion for our culture is so palpable, it’s hard to believe he isn’t a native, and thus, he is a perfect example of Un Amico Della Cultura—a friend of the culture.
This interview was conducted by Vincenzo Cerruti, Deputy Director of the Italian Cultural Society.
TUTTI A TAVOLA! COOKING CLASS
"Learn To Make
Italian Sausage & Peppers"
WITH INSTRUCTOR DIANA QUILICI
Saturday, September 13, 2025
12:00 - 2:00 pm
At the Italian Center:
6821 Fair Oaks Blvd, Carmichael 95608
RESERVATIONS REQUIRED - CHECK BACK FOR DETAILS:
RESERVATIONS ARE LIMITED
Eating Sausage and Peppers is truly an Italian American experience. This culinary delight was created by Italian immigrants who settled in New York, making its debut in 1926 at the Feast of San Gennaro in New York City.
The dish combines the use of sausage which was eaten in ancient Roman civilizations and peppers which were a new world food, originating in central and south America. Italians brought the tradition of sausage making to America, then added affordable peppers and onions to make this hearty and flavor filled dish. As this dish was easy to transport- it because a staple for Italian American street vendors to sell.
Please join us at the Italian Cultural society to learn how to make Sausage and peppers, paired with polenta for what will soon be a family favorite!