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• Presentation of 2026 Educational Travel Program to MODENA

  • When
    26 Oct 2025
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
  • Location
    The Italian Cultural Center, 250 N Third Avenue, unit 625, Minneapolis

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  AN INTRODUCTION TO MODENA

  Join us for a special presentation of ICC’s educational trip to Modena and its surroundings, taking place April 11–25, 2026!

  Curated and presented by Astrid Garino (Tour Leader) and ICC’s Modena Travel Team, this session will give you a glimpse of the itinerary, highlights, and experiences awaiting you in one of Italy’s most authentic and flavorful regions.

  Sunday, October 26 | 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM

  250 N Third Avenue, Unit #625

  Light refreshments will be served.

  Registration is free but appreciated for organizational purposes.

  Discover what makes Modena a must-visit destination—rich in art, flavors, and traditions!

  Grazie e a presto!

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• Educational Travel Program to MODENA : April 11-25, 2026

  • Start
    27 Oct 2025
  • End
    25 Apr 2026
  • Location
    Modena, Italy
  • Spaces left
    11

  Register

  
  

  Improve your Italian language skills while exploring Modena and the Emilia Romagna region!  

  Recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site for its extraordinary architectural masterpieces, Modena is also celebrated for its rich culinary traditions, iconic sports cars, and world-class opera heritage.

  Your 2 week-stay will include daily language classes (Mon-Fri) at Romanica, Accademia Italiana di Lingua e Cultura, an accredited School for the teaching of Italian, recognized by Italian Ministry of Education, where you will improve your grammar and conversation skills.

  On this exclusive itinerary created for a small group (max 14 people), you will discover the history and culture of Modena and nearby jewel towns, including Bologna, Parma, and Mantova.

  You will explore the region's artistic masterpieces, experience Modena's love for music and fast cars and savor and learn about its culinary excellences, including traditional balsamic vinegar, Parmigiano Reggiano, tortellini, and Lambrusco wine.

  I am excited to be your tour leader again in 2026 and look forward to traveling with you!

  Astrid Garino, MD

  President of ICC 

  For detailed information on the itinerary and package, click HERE
  
  

  Rates:

  • $5,400 per person (single room occupancy)
  • $4,260 per person (double room occupancy)

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• Fall Aperitivo at the Italian Cultural Center: A Celebration of Our Return Home

  • When
    07 Nov 2025
  •  
    6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
  • Location
    250 Third Avenue N, Suite 625, Minneapolis

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  Join us as we return to the Italian Cultural Center headquarters for an evening of conversation and connection. Enjoy a spritz or prosecco, a few Italian bites, and the company of old and new friends in our ICC home — where both English and Italian will be spoken.

  It’s a wonderful opportunity for new members to meet others and feel part of the ICC community. Come raise a glass to friendship, community, and our return home!

  Current ICC students enjoy half-price admission ($8). A coupon code will be provided.

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• BE ITALIAN! ICC’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY KICKOFF DINNER

  • When
    14 Nov 2025
  •  
    5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
  • Location
    Westminster Hall, Westminster Presbyterian Church- 1200 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55403

  Register

  
  

  Join us as we launch the Italian Cultural Center of Minneapolis/St. Paul’s 20th anniversary year in 2026! This special benefit dinner will honor two decades of language, culture, and community while kicking off a year-long celebration and raising vital funds for ICC’s future growth.

  Dinner provided by Bacio’s Mobile Kitchen
  We are delighted to welcome back Bacio’s Mobile Kitchen for ICC’s 20th Anniversary Kickoff Dinner. As the Twin Cities’ largest mobile kitchen, Bacio brings the heart of its celebrated restaurant directly to our event, preparing homemade Italian dishes from scratch with locally sourced ingredients. Their authentic flavors and warm hospitality will set the stage for an evening of food, culture, and community.

  Entertainment provided by The Overdressed Duo
  A Whirlwind History of Italian Opera

  Fasten your seatbelts for a playful journey through the history of Italian opera! ICC welcomes the Overdressed Duo—soprano Carole Schulze and pianist Jordan Buchholtz—for a lively program that spans from the charm of early comic opera to the emotional power of Puccini. With humor, storytelling, and plenty of high notes, they bring centuries of opera to life, woven together with wit and sparkle. This performance has been created especially for the kickoff of ICC’s 20th anniversary celebration.

  The evening will also feature inspiring testimonials from community members touched by ICC’s work. More highlights will be announced as the event approaches. For questions or information about table and event sponsorships, please contact Executive Director Ron Lattin at ron@theitalianculturalcenter.org or 612-272-5312

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• APERITIVO & CARTE IS BACK! Experience the joy of playing cards the Italian way!

  • When
    21 Nov 2025
  •  
    6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
  • Spaces left
    24

  Register

  
  

  Learn to play cards the Italian way! Experience the joy of Italian tradition once again!

  Join us for a fun evening of learning and playing the traditional Italian card game Scopone Scientifico while enjoying an authentic Italian aperitivo.

  No prior experience is needed! ICC native Italian teacher Ileana Tamberlani will guide you through the game in English. If you’re already a pro, bring your skills and join the fun!

  Scopone Scientifico is a charming variant of Scopa, a classic card game beloved by Italians, and our facilitators fondly remember playing it with their grandparents in Italy.

  This event welcomes both ICC members and non-members. Come solo or bring a partner—either way, the fun is guaranteed!

  Per chi desidera trascorrere una serata divertente giocando al tradizionale Scopone Scientifico, il tutto accompagnato da un aperitivo italiano.
  Il gioco è aperto sia ai soci dell’ICC che ai non soci. Le regole saranno spiegate in inglese. Non è necessaria alcuna conoscenza del gioco; se sei un campione, è l’occasione perfetta per mostrare la tua bravura. Lo Scopone è un gioco a coppie divertente, semplice e interessante. Se non hai un partner, te ne verrà assegnato uno la sera stessa.

  Details:

  • Minimum participants: 10

  • Maximum participants: 24

  • All workshops must be canceled at least 72 hours in advance for a refund (less administrative fee).

  Bring your friends and register now!

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• IL CIRCOLO LETTERARIO - The Book Club Edition: In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri

  • When
    30 Nov 2025
  •  
    11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
  • Location
    The Italian Cultural Center, 250 N Third Avenue, unit 625, Minneapolis
  • Spaces left
    9

  Register

  

  Join us for a discussion of Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jhumpa Lahiri’s memoir In Other Words (In altre parole). Both deeply personal and universally resonant, the book recounts Lahiri’s bold decision to immerse herself in Italian, set aside English in her writing, and embrace a new identity as an author in another language. Written originally in Italian and published in a dual-language format, In Other Words explores the challenges of learning to write in a new tongue, the vulnerability of beginning again, and the freedom Lahiri discovered in making Italian her literary home. Critics have praised it as “an honest, engaging, and very moving account of a writer searching for herself in words.”
  
  In Other Words is published in a bilingual version (Vintage Books) with Lahiri's Italian original text on the left page and Ann Goldstein's English translation on the right.  Participants to the book club may read the Italian or the English version of this memoir. The event will be in English. 

  The discussion will be led by Pieranna Garavaso, professor emerita at the University of Minnesota Morris.

  

  
  

  About Jhumpa Lahiri
  Jhumpa Lahiri was born in London and raised in the United States. She is the author of Interpreter of Maladies, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 2000, The Namesake, Unaccustomed Earth, and The Lowland. After moving to Rome in 2012, she has written and translated in Italian, publishing both fiction and nonfiction that explore language, identity, and exile.  In 2022 she returned to her Alma Mater Barnard College in New York as the Millicent C. McIntosh Professor of English in 2022.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Pieranna Garavaso is native Italian and came to the US to earn a PhD in Philosophy (at the U of Nebraska Lincoln). She taught Philosophy at the University of Minnesota Morris for 34 years. She was awarded the UMN Morris Alumni Association Teaching Award (2003), the Horace T. Morse Alumni Association Undergraduate Teaching Award (2004) and the UMN Morris Faculty Research Award (2017). Her areas of research include History of Analytic Philosophy, Philosophy of Mathematics, and Feminist Philosophies.  She has published articles in Italian and English and authored, co-authored or edited several books; the last collection she has edited is the Bloomsbury Companion to Analytic Feminism (2018).  As Emerita/retired she plans to devote more time to reading and discussing Italian literature.

  
  

  In 2021, ICC was appointed Presidio Letterario of the Società Dante Alighieri (DA), one of the most important Italian institutions for the promotion and appreciation of Italian language and culture since 1889. ICC is now part of a network of cultural centers in Italy and abroad promoting events and initiatives related to Italian literature. Since 2009 DA has officially been part of the jury of Premio Strega, the most prestigious Italian literary award.

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