ICS SPECIAL EVENTS: Gala, Natale, Carnevale, Pasqua

To view other previous events, please click here.

Festa di Natale – Christmas Party

In place of December’s monthly meeting, the ICS celebrates the Holiday season with a musical program and pot-luck dinner featuring traditional Italian dishes. The Festa begins with a piano (or vocal) performance of Italian music, a performance by the children (students of the Music School + little students of our language classes); then, a sing-along of carols, followed by the appearance of Babbo Natale, his elves and La Befana. Decorations include an elaborate Presepio of the Nativity scene. There is a special program of activities for smaller children in a separate room during the musical performance. Afterwards, they are brought into the main room for their own performance and Babbo Natale’s visit. Parents are invited to bring gifts with the name of a child clearly visible for Babbo Natale and his helpers to distribute.

Festa di Natale 2025

Watch Sneak Peek Video from Our 2023 Christmas Party

Watch Festa di Natale Virtuale 2020

Pianista Natale 2019

Coro

Chiara Campari

Babbo entrance

Natale 2019 Befana, folletti e regali

Distibuting gifts

Arts andcrafts 3

vendita prodotti

Bar

Flumiani Bellantone Fra

Food 2

Luigi e presepe

Annual Gala

Founded in 1953 and recognized as an Ente Gestore by the Italian Government since 1974, our historic organization has proudly hosted our annual Gala at the Embassy of Italy for the past ten years.

The Gala is our main fundraising event and is essential in developing our didactic-cultural and scholarship plans. It is a memorable and elegant occasion to celebrate the Italian culture with students, teachers, entrepreneurs who support us, promoters and lovers of our culture, and recipients of ICS awards, who distinguished themselves in the study of Italian, the classics, art, science and music. Entertainment includes a piano performance given by an award recipient. The Gala, typically hosted at the Italian Embassy, highlights a specific aspect of the excellence of Italian culture, and includes an Italian honorary guest of international acclaim, recognized for his/her successful career in the world.

This year we will celebrate Massimo Bottura, the world-renowned chef whose culinary innovation and social impact continue to shape the future of Italian cuisine.

GALA 2026

Watch Virtual Gala 2020

Gala 2019

Montanari Mendola Award C. L. Pham

Gala 2019

Embassy of Italy Easter Egg Hunt

The Embassy of Italy Easter Egg Hunt 2024, in collaboration with American Italian Food Coalition and The Italian Cultural Society of Washington DC, took place on Sunday April 7th at Villa Firenze, residence of the Italian Ambassador.

This year, our goal is to raise $30,000 in donations for the Center for the Advancement of Innovative Health Practices. The Children’s Hospital Association and an anonymous donor have generously agreed to match donations up to $10,000 each.

Embassy of Italy Egg Hunt 2026

Highlights from the Past…

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Highlights from the Past…

Festa di Carnevale – Carnival party

Every year the ICS celebrates Carnevale, the 16th century tradition which originates in Veneto and Campania and then spread to all the other Italian regions. We hold a costume party for the entire family in which children and adults dress in their favorite costumes. Join us for a very special afternoon with Chiacchiere (traditional Carnevale sweet), dolci carnevaleschi, and an aperitivo with Aperol Spritz, music and a fun trivia game tItalian traditions! Children are entertained with a Carnevale themed workshop. Prizes are given to winners of the costume contests, dolci di carnevale contest, and raffle.

Carnevale 2026