The Dante Society of Westerly, RI

Ciao Italia
2025-05-02 17:00 - 20:00 (America/New_York) | Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly, 14 Railraod Ave., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Local Color – Ciao, Italia
This month The Artists’ Cooperative Gallery of Westerly is hosting a show, in part sponsored by the Dante Society of Westerly. It is featuring a special display of works inspired by Italy and Italian culture. More details, including information on the exhibiting artists, can be found on the Cooperative’s home page (westerlyarts.com) and their calendar listing (Current Exhibit).
There will be an open reception on May 2 from 5 PM to 8 PM. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday – Saturday 11 AM to 7 PM, and Sunday 1 PM to 5 PM.

2025 Annual Fried Dough Breakfast
2025-05-18 08:00 - 11:00 | Calabrese Club, 28 Pleasant Street, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Dante Society of Westerly is hosting a Fried Dough Breakfast and Bake Sale.
Proceeds from the event help support educational grants and scholarships in keeping with the mission of the Dante Society.
Cost is $10 for 12 and older, $5 for under 12 yrs.
Tickets may be purchased in advance from members of the Dante Society of Westerly, or at the door.

Society members are encouraged to volunteer to assist with the event. Volunteer forms may be found by clicking on the “Volunteer” button below: Volunteer

General Membership Meeting June 2025
2025-06-12 18:00 - 19:00 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This is the Second of the four members’ business meeting for 2025.
Agenda will be sent to members shortly before the meeting.
This meeting will be held at the Senior Center.

Members are reminded that the bylaws require attendance at a minimum of 50% of membership meetings as well as participation and support in society activities.
The remaining meetings this year are scheduled for June 12, September 11, and November 13.

Please review the minutes from the previous meeting (March 2025) prior to attending the meeting.
The minutes from the previous meeting (pending release) and, when available, the agenda for this meeting may be found using this link: Index of Agendas & Minutes

2025 Juneteenth - Wilcox Park
2025-06-19 11:00 - 13:00 | RI
This year Westerly Anti-Racism Coalition (Westerly ARC) will be sponsoring the 5th annual celebration of Juneteenth in Wilcox Park on June 19th from 11-1. With a theme of “And Still We Rise – a Celebration of Community, Resilience, and Hope”, the celebration will include:

guest speakers
community spirit awards,
student essay contest awards
story telling
music and dancing
food
informational tables for community organizations
activities for children

The Dante Society will have an information table at the event, providing information on membership as well as upcoming events.

2025 Annual Summer Gathering
2025-06-25 18:00 - 20:00 | RI
This is the annual membership gathering for the end of the 2023/2024 season. The Pat Sposato Award is presented at the event.
Members can find additional details on the event and the attendance signup form by clicking here: Summer Gathering Signup

2025 Johnny V's Meatball Challenge and Pasta Dinner (Updated Aug 21)
2025-08-20 17:00 - 20:00 | Calabrese Club, 28 Pleasant Street, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
The count is in: Dunns Corners Market selected as the favorite meatball after a very close count of votes from over 250 persons participating in the first Johnny V’s Meatball Challenge.

The Dante Society of Westerly will host the first Johnny V’s Meatball Challenge and Pasta Dinner, where diners vote in a blind taste test for their favorite meatball.

>> SOLD OUT! <<

>> SEE UPDATE NOTED BELOW FOR EXTENDED TIMES OF THE EVENT <<

Three generous sponsoring contestants are participating in the challenge, donating their meatballs for the event.
The contestant will be assigned one of 3 colors (green, white, and red) on the day of the contest, and each of their meatballs will have a small flag with that color to identify it.
Each ticket has a stub which is the ballot to vote for your favorite of the 3
It is a buffet style dinner, served from a service table, with open seating. You do not need to come at a set time; service will start at 5:00 and run through 8:00. (note the earlier start time)
You do not need to wait for the results as we will publish on our web site and Facebook page later that evening as to who was selected as the peoples’ choice for favorite meatball.

Sponsoring Contestants
Dunns Corner Market
Joyce’s Everyday Gourmet
Westerly Packing

Ticket Information

>> SOLD OUT! <<
Each ticket contains 2 parts: one part for the dinner and a second part that is the ballot for voting for your favorite meatball.

If you bought your tickets at the Chamber of Commerce, be sure to bring them with you.
If you ordered tickets online, when you arrive for dinner stop by the desk at the door to pick them up.

Menu
Salad
Bread
Pasta with sauce
(3) meatballs, one from each sponsor
Dessert

Note: Each meatball will have a small green, white, or red colored flag. The ballot half of your ticket contains a list of the 3 colors. Be sure to select your favorite meatball by circling the color of the flag it came with, and submitting your vote at the ballot box before you leave.

Merchandise for the event will be available at the event.
A raffle will be held for gift baskets donated by the sponsors as well as for the buoy which the society had on last year’s Stonington’s Lobster Trap Christmas Tree.
All proceeds from this event go toward the society’s education grants, lectures and other educational events.

General Membership Meeting September 2025
2025-09-11 18:00 - 19:00 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This is the Third of the four members’ business meeting for 2025.
The general agenda is:

Call Meeting to Order
Opening Statement by the President of the Society
Approval of Minutes
New member Introduction
Committee Reports
Upcoming Events & Programs
Other new items

The full agenda can be found in the Index of Meeting Agendas and Minutes.
This meeting will be held at the Senior Center.

Members are reminded that the bylaws require attendance at a minimum of 50% of membership meetings as well as participation and support in society activities.
The remaining meetings this year are scheduled for June 12, September 11, and November 13.

Please review the minutes from the previous meeting (June 2025) prior to attending the meeting.
The minutes from the previous meeting and, when available, the agenda for this meeting may be found using this link: Index of Agendas & Minutes

Lecture: "The Land of the Living" by Timothy Crellin
2025-09-13 13:00 - 14:30 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891
Timothy Crellin: an author talk on “The Land of the Living”.
(Sicilian Americans and the Myth of the Melting Pot.)

“The Land of the Living” grows out of the author’s fascination with his Sicilian heritage, on his mother’s side. Timothy Crellin studied Italian and lived in Bologna for a year. He has Italian citizenship, speaks fluent Italian, and visits his family in Sicily as often as possible. The other taproot of the book is Tim’s deep study of war in the 20th century, and particularly the generational impact of World War I, World War II and Vietnam on immigrant families.
“Crellin doesn’t sugarcoat the immigrant experience. Instead, he honours it with grit and grace, showing the daily grind of laundry carts, fish hauls, language barriers, and constant fear that the American Dream might be nothing more than a mirage.” {from Book Reviews Cafe, May 1, 2025}
Timothy Crellin is an Episcopal priest, raised in the Boston area and educated at Brown University and Harvard Divinity School before being ordained in 1996. Since February of 2022 he has been Rector of St. Paul’s Church in Gardner, Massachusetts. Tim was Vicar of St. Stephen’s Church in Boston from 1999 to 2022, and was the founder of St. Stephen’s Youth Programs. Previously he was Associate Rector of the Church of the Redeemer in Chestnut Hill. In addition to being Rector and Dean of the Wachusett Valley Deanery, Tim is a chaplain with a local hospice provider. He serves on the Ethics Committee at Heywood Hospital in Gardner, and on the Social Justice Commission of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts.
Published in February of this year, user reviews of the book can be found on Amazon.

Note: Unless specifically noted as being streamed or recorded, the lectures in the lecture series hosted by the Dante Society of Westerly are live events only and are not recorded. They are neither streamed online nor available afterwards as recordings.
Lectures are free and open to the public.

This event is presented in partnership with the Westerly Library and Wilcox Park.

Opening Night: Italian Immigrants in Westerly
2025-10-01 17:00 - 19:00 | Westerly Library, 44 Broad St, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
Join us in the Hoxie Gallery for the Opening Night of the exhibit “Italian Immigrants in Westerly: Their Stories“

The evening will feature history, Italian music, and refreshments.

Can’t make Opening Night? The exhibit will be on display for the entire month of October!

This event is presented in partnership with the Westerly Library and Wilcox Park. It is free and open to the public.

Italian Immigrants in Westerly: Their Stories
2025-10-02 - 2025-11-01 | Westerly Library, 44 Broad St, Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
In celebration of the Dante Society of Westerly’s 50th anniversary, we are proud to present an exhibit entitled “Italian Immigrants in Westerly: Their Stories”

This exhibit, hosted in the Hoxie Gallery at the Westerly Library, features the immigration histories of many of Westerly’s prominent Italian families, the hardships they endured, and their ultimate triumphs. Many of these families are responsible for making Westerly what it is today.
On Wednesday, October 1, 2025, join us in the Hoxie Gallery, from 5 – 7 PM, for the exhibit’s Opening Night and an evening of history, Italian music, and refreshments.

Can’t make Opening Night? The exhibit will be on display for the entire month of October!

This event is presented in partnership with the Westerly Library and Wilcox Park.
The exhibit is free and open to the public.

2025 50th Anniversary Gala
2025-10-03 18:00 - 20:30 | The Haversham House, 336 Post Rd., Westerly, RI, 02891
The Dante Society of Westerly will celebrate their 50th anniversary with a Gala on October 3.
Music by Arthur Migliazza.

Person of the Year
As part of the Gala, the Society honors four of the original 16 charter members of the society:
Edward Gradilone
Robert Liguori
Mary Matos
Elizabeth McFarland Santoro

Ticket Information
There are two options for purchasing tickets:
» Individual tickets, are sold out. with open seating, may be purchased at $100 per ticket, either online (as e-tickets) or at the Chamber of Commerce (for paper tickets),
» Table Packages are sold out. A table package, which includes 8 tickets plus a reserved table and a full page advertisement in the Event Program is available for $1,000, and available for purchase online or via email request.

» Individual paper tickets may be purchased at the Westerly Chamber of Commerce

Located at 1 Chamber Way, Westerly RI
Hours: Monday – Thursday: 9 to 5; Friday 9 to 4; Phone 401-596-7761
$100/ticket Cash or Check (NO credit cards)
The chamber cannot hold/reserve or mail tickets – pick up only
There are a limited number left
Tickets no longer available

» Individual e-tickets may be purchased online –Tickets no longer available

$100/ticket (Credit Cards only) – using the button at the bottom of this section (“ONLINE PURCHASE ( … )“)
after clicking on the link, select the purchase option (ticket), and enter the names of the people (including yourself) for whom you are buying tickets.
Select the number of tickets (it must agree with the number of names listed) and continue on to the payment

» a Table Package NO LONGER AVAILABLE may be purchased online for $1000 using the button at the bottom of this section (“ONLINE PURCHASE ( … )”)

The package includes 8 tickets, a reserved table, and a full page add in the Event Program
After clicking on the link, select the purchase option (table package), and enter the name you wish to use for the reserved table.
The default for a table purchase is 1; continue on to the payment
We will contact you to discuss your preferred content and placement in the Event Program

Online Purchase (Only Tickets Are Available)

Event Program
The Event Program contains brief biographies and photos of the honorees. Space is NO LONGER AVAILABLE available in the Event Program for congratulation messages and/or advertisements. Pricing is $250 for a full page; $125 for a half page; $50 for a quarter page; and $25 for an eighth of a page. A link for online purchases will be available shortly. For additional information, click on the “CONTACT” button in the main menu of this page, select the Category “Brochure Content Questions or Comment”, and complete your request.
To purchase space, use the button below to select the size you desire and to pay by credit card. You will be contacted to discuss your content.

Purchase Program Space

Menu
The meal is buffet style. The buffet will include: Assorted Appetizers, Salad, Baked Haddock, Chicken Marsala, a Prime Rib Carving Station, Coffee and a Plated Dessert.

2025 Italian Snacking with Anna Francese Gass
2025-10-19 16:00 | The United Theater, 5 Canal St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
As part of the UNITED Table series, the UNITED and The Dante Society present a special talk, screening, and book-signing with Westerly native Anna Francese Gass celebrating her 2024 cookbook, “Italian Snacking: Sweet and Savory Recipes for Every Hour of the Day,” and her new television series “Instant Italian with Anna Gass” which launched in March on FYI.

The UNITED Table series is a culinary entertainment series presented to celebrate the food we eat and the creative, hardworking people who take the care and thought in preparing and presenting that food, preserving its history, and filling our lives with the tastes, smells, and experiences that bring people together. Through conversations, tastings, book talks, food fests, and screenings from the culinary cineverse, The UNITED Table invites you to pull up a chair. Bon appetite!.
More information and tickets are available online at
https://unitedtheatre.org/

2025 Fall Italian Classes
2025-10-27 - 2025-10-30 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
The Dante Society of Westerly is sponsoring a new series of Italian lessons this fall.

The courses will be taught by Gayle Restivo, certified Italian language teacher and Dante Society Member.
All classes will be held at the Westerly Senior Center, State Street.
Each class meets once per week beginning the week of October 27th, 2025.

Beginner 1 – Thu 5:30-7pm
Beginner 2 – Thu 7-8:30pm
Intermediate – Mon 6:30-8pm
Advanced Intermediate – Tue 6:30-8pm

Classes are open to the public.
Prior registration is required.
Five student minimum per class is necessary.

To register please contact Gayle Restivo at
gaylerestivo@yahoo.it

Cost for 6 week session:
$150 per student
($120 for current Dante members)
(Payment due at the first class: cash or check)

2025 An evening with Consul General Arnaldo Minuti
2025-11-07 18:30 | The United Theater, 5 Canal St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
An evening with Consul General Arnaldo Minuti of the Italian Consulate in Boston
As part of the Dante Society of Westerly’s 50th Anniversary celebrations, we welcome Consul General Minuti who will discuss the Italian American relations and the importance of Italian Immigration to the US, especially in the early and mid 20th century.

Consul General Minuti is a career diplomat who has previously served as the Head of the Office for International Cooperation against Global Threats and Counterterrorism of the Directorate General for Political Affairs and Security at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MFA). He has served at the Embassy of Italy in Ethiopia and was Consul of Italy in Canada for the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. He was Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Italy in Mexico City and was appointed Deputy Permanent Representative of Italy to UNESCO in Paris. In 2017, he was promoted to the rank of Counselor of Embassy. He is Lieutenant of the Carabinieri Corps (of the reserve) and is Knight of the Italian Republic.

There will be a public reception following Consul General Minuti’s remarks.
The talk and reception afterwards are free and open to the public but prior registration is required.
Please register by November 1. Register (free) at the United Theatre’s web site using the button “TICKETS” near the bottom of this link: UnitedTheatre

General Membership Meeting November 2025
2025-11-13 18:00 - 19:30 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This is the Fourth and final of the four members’ business meeting for 2025.
The general agenda is:

Call Meeting to Order
Opening Statement by the President of the Society
Approval of Minutes of the September meeting – (see link to the index near the bottom of this page)
New member Introduction
Committee Reports
Upcoming Events & Programs
Other new items

The full agenda can be found in the Index of Meeting Agendas and Minutes.
This meeting will be held at the Senior Center.

Members are reminded that the bylaws require attendance at a minimum of 50% of membership meetings as well as participation and support in society activities.
The remaining meetings this year are scheduled for June 12, September 11, and November 13.

Please review the minutes from the previous meeting (June 2025) prior to attending the meeting.
The minutes from the previous meeting and, when available, the agenda for this meeting may be found using this link: Index of Agendas & Minutes

2025 Lecture: The Story of Del's
2025-11-22 13:00 - 14:30 | Westerly Library Auditorium, 44 Broad St, Westerly, 02891

2026 Event: Italian Bred
2025-12-10 15:00 - 19:00 | The Granite Theatre, 1 Granite St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
>> SOLD OUT <<

Candice Guardino will be presenting the show Italian Bred on Dec 10 at the Granite Theatre. There are two showings: an early one at 3:00 PM and a later one at 7:00 PM

Italian Bred, is an hilarious and heartwarming theatrical comedy that is based on true life events and told through the eyes of a girl growing up Italian on Staten Island. Having written down everything her bawdy grandmother ever uttered, Candice slips in and out of multiple family characters, story-tells hilarious childhood moments and sings songs that all makes this woman an incredible talent of our time.

Additional information and ticket availability can be found on the Granite Theatre’s web site.

2026 Winter Gathering
2026-02-01 14:00 - 16:00 | Hilltop Café, 23 Canal St., Westerly, RI, 02891
It’s time for the Society’s annual winter gathering!
— Open to members of the Dante Society of Westerly and one guest (spouse, significant other, friend, …). —

Cost is $20/per person; tickets will not be available at the door.

Tickets are only available online.
An email will be sent to members shortly with details and a link to purchase tickets.

This year more seating will be available, but seating is still limited.
It was sold out last year; please buy your tickets early so you do not miss out.

Menu
Drinks may be purchased; a buffet luncheon will be provided.
The buffet will include: Salad, Pizza, Pasta, Chicken Cutlets, Meatballs, and Sausage and Potatoes.

General Membership Meeting March 2026
2026-03-12 18:00 - 19:00 | Westerly Senior Center, 39 State St., Westerly, RI, 02891, United States
This is the First of the four members’ business meeting for 2026.
The general agenda is:

Call Meeting to Order
Opening Statement by the President of the Society
Approval of Minutes
New member Introduction
Committee Reports
Upcoming Events & Programs
Other new items

When available, the full agenda can be found in the Index of Meeting Agendas and Minutes.
This meeting will be held at the Senior Center.

Members are reminded that the bylaws require attendance at a minimum of 50% of membership meetings as well as participation and support in society activities.
The remaining meetings this year are scheduled for June 11, September 10, and November 12.

Please review the minutes from the previous meeting (November 2025) prior to attending the meeting.
The minutes from the previous meeting, when available, may be found using this link: Index of Agendas & Minutes
