NEW CULTURAL EVENTS
- Ballo Liscio
- Democracy: Origins, Transformations and Global Legacies
- Forza Azzurri! Italy Qualifier Screenings
- "The Other Half of the Apple"
- Wine Tasting Event
- Sounds of Spring
- “Neapolitan Ice Cream”
- Cantastorie: A Storytelling Workshop
- Soggetti e Sceneggiature"
- Jazz at the Columbus Centre
- Arrosticini Summer Festa
- Ferragosto
- Tomato Sauce-Making Festival
- Festa della Ciambella
- Grape Pressing Festival
- Chestnut Festival
Ballo Liscio
Social Dancing Nights
- Wednesdays, January 14 – April 29,
6:30 – 8:30pm
The Italian tradition of Ballo Liscio continues every Wednesday at Villa Charities. Join us for these popular social dancing nights featuring music by popular Italian DJs and musicians.
Price:
A ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ EVENT
(Donations welcome at the door.)
Limited seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
Democracy: Origins, Transformations and Global Legacies
- March 17 – November 3, 2026
A four‑part lecture series tracing democracy’s evolution from ancient Greece to today’s political world.
- Tuesday, March 17, 6:00 – 7:15pm
When and where was democracy born, and how did it become the defining political model of the Western world? University of Toronto lecturer and researcher Giulio Leghissa will guide the audience through a journey beginning in Classical Greece, moving through the Renaissance, and concluding in the contemporary United States to uncover the origins and evolution of this influential concept.
- Tuesday, May 12, 6:00 – 7:15pm
The use of “democracy” as a justification for foreign intervention is not unique to the modern era. From Afghanistan to Venezuela, Western governments have invoked democratic ideals to support military actions abroad—often with contentious results. This practice has deep roots: in Classical antiquity, Athens established democracies across Greece to strengthen its empire, provoking widespread hostility and ultimately contributing to its downfall.
University of Toronto lecturer and researcher Giulio Leghissa will guide the audience through this striking historical parallel between ancient and modern political interventions.
- Tuesday, September 22, 6:00 – 7:15pm
Violence, instability, and political upheaval have long shaped the histories of republics and democracies. In Renaissance Florence, these dynamics were central to the turbulent period between 1494 and 1512. During this time, influential thinkers Niccolò Machiavelli and Francesco Guicciardini developed their distinctive views on republicanism and democratic governance.
In his lecture presentation, University of Toronto lecturer and researcher Giulio Leghissa will illuminate Renaissance approaches to republican and democratic ideas through the political experiences and writings of Machiavelli and Guicciardini.
- Tuesday, November 3, 6:00 – 7:15pm
The American and French Revolutions mark watershed moments in the development of modern Western democracy and republican government. In both contexts, the rejection of monarchical rule sparked intense debates about the appropriate form of government for the newly liberated states—democracy or republic? These discussions drew heavily on ancient Greek and Roman political models and intellectual traditions.
University of Toronto lecturer and researcher Giulio Leghissa will lead the audience through a comparative journey across America and Europe to reveal the ancient foundations of modern democratic and republican thought.
Price:
FREE
Location:
Columbus Room,
Columbus Centre
Forza Azzurri! Italy Qualifier Screenings
Villa Charities invites you to cheer on Italy as they compete in two crucial qualifying matches leading up to this summer’s global soccer tournament.
Join fellow Azzurri fans, family and friends and experience the excitement of international football with your community at our viewing events.
- Thursday, March 26, 2026
- 3:30pm
Winners of Wales / Bosnia and Herzegovina vs. Italy / Northern Ireland
- Tuesday, March 31, 2026
- 2:30pm
Price:
FREE
Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
“The Other Half of the Apple”
Presentation by Konrad Eisenbichler
- Tuesday, April 7, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Hear about the experiences of Julian-Dalmatian immigrants in Canada through “The Other Half of the Apple: Conversations with Julian-Dalmation Immigrants in Canada, the USA, and Italy”, a book by Rosanna Turcinovich Giuricin documenting her meetings and conversations with members of this community. Originally published in Italian as “Esuli due volte”, the work reflects on themes of exile, identity, and belonging through personal stories shaped by migration and resettlement.
The evening will feature a presentation by Professor Konrad Eisenbichler, who translated the book into English, with remarks from Daniela Chiasson, President of the Club Giuliano Dalmato di Toronto. A Q&A will follow, with book copies available for purchase while supplies last. Light refreshments will be served.
Price:
$5.00
Location:
Columbus Room,
Columbus Centre.
In partnership with the Club Giuliano Dalmato di Toronto.
Wine Tasting Event
- Wednesday, April 8, 6:00 – 6:30pm
The wine from our autumn grape pressing is ready for tasting!
Coinciding with our popular Ballo Liscio event, join us for this community event to taste the wine produced during our traditional grape pressing demonstration last year. Sample our latest unique vintage while you enjoy live music by DJ Bruno Nesci and complimentary cake, courtesy of Villa Charities!*
Price:
FREE
*First-come, first served, while supplies last.
Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
Sounds of Spring
- Tuesday, April 14, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Welcome spring with a live concert featuring the Columbus Concert Band, the Columbus Jazz Band and special guest soprano Taylor Frisina. Under the direction of Annamaria Mazzaferro, this special performance will feature an ensemble of musicians presenting a lively program of popular band classics including selections from “West Side Story,” music by The Beatles, and works by Giuseppe Verdi.
Experience a delightful and uplifting musical evening perfect for all ages, sure to brighten your spring!
Price:
$15.00 (Adults) / $10.00 (Seniors/Students)
Tickets also available at the door.
Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
Presented in partnership with Columbus Concert Band.
“Neapolitan Ice Cream”
The Musical
- Friday, April 17, 7:30 – 8:45pm
“Neapolitan Ice Cream: The Musical” is an unforgettable blend of soaring soprano, intimate guitar, and a powerful immigrant story inspired by true events. Audiences journey from the sun‑washed streets of Naples to the storm‑tossed Atlantic through the voice of Caterina—a young woman whose courage, longing, and heartbreak resonate across generations.
Each classic Italian song opens a new emotional chapter, creating a performance that feels part concert, part confession, and part cinematic narrative.
This two-person jukebox musical is told entirely through Caterina’s perspective, weaving iconic Neapolitan and operatic selections into live narration performed by soprano and guitar. Themes of immigration, love, resilience, and reinvention shape a story that is both deeply personal and universally familiar.
A printed program will be provided to all audience members—and to celebrate the shared experience, everyone leaves with a scoop of ice cream.
At the turn of the 20th century, a young Italian woman sets out from the port of Naples to join her fiancé in Canada, but a betrayal at sea leaves her stranded on the rugged shores of Scotland. Armed with little more than a few belongings and a pouch of her Nonna’s precious cocoa, she begins making ice cream, transforming her struggles into sweetness. Embracing the rich cream of her new home and a humble offering of strawberries from a kind-hearted young fisherman, Caterina must decide: can she churn heartbreak into hope?
Inspired by true events of immigrants diverted in deceit and woven with world-famous Italian melodies, “Neapolitan Ice Cream” is a cheeky, uplifting tribute to resilience, cultural fusion, and the joy found in unexpected places, through music, memory, and even a simple scoop of ice cream.
Price:
$40.00 (Adults) / $35.00 (Seniors/Students)
Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
Presented in partnership with Loreworks Ltd.
Cantastorie
A Storytelling Workshop
- Wednesday, April 22, 6:30 – 9:00pm
Discover the richness of stories—both the ones we’ve lived and the ones we’ve heard—in this introductory, hands‑on storytelling workshop. Guided by Toronto-based storyteller Mariella Bertelli, participants will explore the narratives that shape who we are.
Together, we’ll practice sharing anecdotes, ditties, proverbs, memories, poems, and more. Along the way, we’ll delve into the power of narrative, the role of language, and the ways memory informs the stories we choose to tell. We’ll also discuss where to find stories—in our families, our communities, and our everyday lives—and how to carry forward the ancient art of storytelling in meaningful, accessible ways.
This intimate workshop is interactive and participatory, welcoming anyone curious about discovering or deepening their voice as a storyteller.
Price:
$35.00 (Adults) / $30.00 (Seniors/Students)
Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
“Francesco Pasinetti: Soggetti e Sceneggiature”
Book Launch with Alberto Zambenedetti
- Thursday, April 23, 6:00 – 7:30pm
Italian filmmaker Francesco Pasinetti (1911-1949) was one of the country’s first film scholars and an accomplished teacher, best known for his work as a film critic and documentary filmmaker. This presentation by Prof. Alberto Zambenedetti brings to light many of his unpublished and unrealized projects.
“Francesco Pasinetti: Soggetti e Sceneggiature” (Scenarios and Screenplays), the new critical edition edited by Zambenedetti is a collection of previously unpublished scenarios, screenplays writings and film projects preserved at the Archivio Carlo Montanaro in Venice, offering fresh insights into Pasinetti’s extraordinary creative vision.
The evening will include a 16-minute screening of Pasinetti’ short documentary “Venezia Minore” (1942), followed by a Q&A and light refreshments. Copies of the book will be available for purchase while supplies last.
Price:
$5.00
Location:
Columbus Room, Columbus Centre
Presented in partnership with the University of Toronto Department of Italian, Spanish, Portuguese & Latin American Studies.
Sponsored by Cinema Studies Institute & Emilio Goggio Chair in Italian Studies.
Jazz at the Columbus Centre
- April 30, October 29, May 28, September 11, December 3
Back by popular demand, Jazz at the Columbus Centre returns with five unforgettable concerts celebrating the richness, diversity and enduring appeal of jazz. This curated series brings together outstanding Canadian musicians and vocalists to explore iconic recordings, global jazz influences, beloved composers, and seasonal favourites—all presented in an intimate and elegant concert setting.
From jazz’s greatest hits and Brazilian bossa nova to the timeless music of George Gershwin, festive holiday swing, and Italian classics reimagined, this series invites audiences to discover the music they love—performed with artistry, imagination, and style.
Whether you’re a devoted jazz fan or a curious first‑time listener, this series offers a welcoming and richly rewarding journey through the sound, history, and spirit of jazz.
Bundle all 5 concerts with our Jazz Series Package and save up to $50.00!
- Thursday, April 30, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Celebrate International Jazz Day with an exceptional evening of music as drummer and arranger Daniel Barnes leads an all‑star ensemble of JUNO Award–winning musicians—saxophonist Richard Underhill and bassist Paul Novotny—alongside rising star pianist Evan Miles. Together, they pay tribute to some of the most popular and influential recordings in jazz history.
Featuring music made famous by Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis, Dave Brubeck, John Coltrane, Stan Getz, and more, this concert honours the jazz tradition of re‑imagining beloved works. Expect familiar melodies, bold improvisation, and fresh perspectives from some of Canada’s finest jazz artists as they join the global celebration of jazz’s enduring legacy.
Daniel Barnes – Drums
Richard Underhill – Saxophone
Evan Miles – Piano
Paul Novotny – Bass
- Thursday, May 28, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Vocalist Alyssa Giammaria lends her rich, expressive voice to nostalgic Neapolitan favourites such as “Volare,” “O Sole Mio,” and music from “The Godfather” — all reimagined in stylish jazz arrangements.
With arrangements by acclaimed pianist Anthony D’Alessandro and the distinguished bass work of Paul Novotny, this concert offers a fresh and elegant take on familiar melodies, blending Neapolitan song tradition with the improvisational spirit of jazz.
Alyssa Giammaria – Vocals
Anthony D’Alessandro – Piano
Paul Novotny – Bass
Daniel Barnes – Drums
- Friday, September 11, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Acclaimed Brazilian vocalist Fernanda Cunha brings her warmth, elegance, and authenticity to an intimate evening of classic bossa nova. Known for its intimacy, sophistication and gently hypnotic rhythms, this beloved genre comes alive through timeless works by Antonio Carlos Jobim, João Gilberto, Luiz Bonfá, and others.
Backed by a stellar ensemble, Cunha’s expressive voice transports audiences to sun‑soaked evenings and the romantic heart of Brazil. A lush, elegant concert that is both relaxing and deeply expressive.
Fernanda Cunha – Vocals
Reg Schwager – Guitar
Tom Szczesniak – Piano
Paul Novotny – Bass
Daniel Barnes – Drums
- Thursday, October 29, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Pianist and composer Anthony D’Alessandro brings his signature swing, scintillating technique, and irresistible showmanship to a celebration of one of the most influential composers in jazz and American popular music: George Gershwin.
Featuring beloved selections from Gershwin’s vast catalogue — spanning jazz standards, musicals, and concert works — this performance honours a monumental figure whose music continues to define the Great American Songbook. Joining D’Alessandro are trumpet virtuoso Kevin Turcotte, bassist Paul Novotny, and drummer Daniel Barnes in a truly star‑studded ensemble.
Anthony D’Alessandro – Piano
Kevin Turcotte – Trumpet
Paul Novotny – Bass
Daniel Barnes – Drums
- Thursday, December 3, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Beloved vocalist John Alcorn, joined by the ever‑elegant Daniel Barnes Trio, brings swing, warmth and swagger to musical favourites of the holiday season.
The weather outside may be frightful, but inside it’s beginning to look — and sound — a lot like a holly jolly Christmas. From festive classics to jazzy seasonal gems, this joyful concert ushers in the holidays with style, sophistication and plenty of cheer.
John Alcorn – Vocals
Daniel Barnes – Drums
Paul Novotny – Bass
Anthony D’Alessandro – Piano
Price:
$30.00 (Adults) / $25.00 (Seniors/Students) (per concert)
Series Package: (5 Concerts) $100.00
Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
Series sponsored by Aion Law Partners.
Arrosticini Summer Festa
- Sunday, July 26, 11:30am – 1:30pm
Join us for our summer community event to enjoy some delicious arrosticini, pasta, dancing and live musical entertainment. Plus, shop our new Market Square featuring a variety of local vendors.
In the event of rain, the event will be moved indoors.
Price:
$10.00
Location:
Anthony Fusco Sr. Courtyard,
Columbus Centre
Ferragosto
- Sunday, August 16, 11:00am – 3:00pm
Celebrate the height of summer and commemorate Ferragosto, the annual Italian summer holiday! Enjoy an afternoon filled with family-friendly fun featuring live musical entertainment, children’s activities, raffle prizes, authentic Italian foods including traditional porchetta, pasta and fresh pizza, and a licensed patio at Caffe Cinquecento.
Plus, shop our new Market Square featuring a variety of local vendors.
Price:
$10.00
This is an outdoor event. We encourage you to bring your own chair.
Location:
Anthony Fusco Sr. Courtyard,
Columbus Centre
Presented in partnership with CIBPA Toronto.
Tomato Sauce-Making Festival
Festa del Pomodoro
- Sunday, September 13, 11:00am – 1:30pm
Celebrate this annual Italian tradition with us and enjoy a plate of pasta, live musical entertainment and a complimentary jar of fresh tomato sauce to take home! Plus, shop our new Market Square featuring a variety of local vendors.
In the event of rain, the event will be postponed until further notice.
Price:
$10.00
Maximum 1 jar per person.
Location:
Anthony Fusco Sr. Courtyard,
Columbus Centre
Festa della Ciambella Verolana
- Sunday, September 20, 11:00am – 1:30pm
Join us for a live demonstration by the Veroli Cultural Society as they showcase the art of making ciambelle, the traditional anise-flavoured bread from the City of Veroli, located in the province of Frosinone in Italy’s Lazio region. The event will also feature musical entertainment by Gianni Mignardi. Wine, biscotti, and light refreshments will be served.
Price:
$10.00
Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
Presented in partnership with Veroli Cultural Society.
Grape Pressing Festival
- Sunday, October 4, 11:00am – 1:30pm
Join us for this outdoor community event and experience the Italian tradition of grape pressing with a live demonstration. Learn how fresh grapes are pressed into barrels to begin the winemaking process. Plus, enjoy light refreshments, musical entertainment and raffle prizes.
In the event of rain, the event will be moved indoors.
Price:
$10.00
Location:
Anthony Fusco Sr. Courtyard,
Columbus Centre
Chestnut Festival
Festa della Castagna
- Wednesday, November 11, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Join us for our annual community festa to enjoy complimentary roasted chestnuts* in celebration of San Martino. This FREE event coincides with our Ballo Liscio night, with social dancing and music.
Price:
FREE
*First-come, first served, while supplies last.
Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
For more information, please contact:
Mirella Tersigni
Cultural Manager, Cultural Programming
Email: mtersigni@villacharities.com