NEW CULTURAL EVENTS
- Ballo Liscio
- Ferragosto
- Cinema Sotto le Stelle
- "On New Ground" Exhibition
- Jump, Jive & Wail
- "The Devil in His Big Blue Eyes"
- Academy of Realist Art
- Recreational Drop-in Dance Classes
- Yoga in the Gallery
- Books and Biscotti
- Villa Colombo Seniors Art Show
- Stone Art Creation Workshop
- Tarantelle d’Italia
Ballo Liscio
Social Dancing Nights
- Wednesdays, July 2 – August 27, 6:30 – 8:30pm
The Italian tradition of Ballo Liscio continues every Wednesday all summer long in the Anthony Fusco Sr. Courtyard. Join us for these popular outdoor 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:
Anthony Fusco Sr. Courtyard,
Columbus Centre
This is an outdoor event. In the event of rain, the event will be moved indoors.
Ferragosto
- Sunday, August 17, 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.
New this year, visit our Market Lane to explore vendor booths offering a variety of foods, handmade goods, and seasonal favourites.
Price:
$5.00
*While supplies last, on a first-come, first-served basis.
This is an outdoor event. We encourage you to bring your own chair.
Cinema Sotto le Stelle
- Thursdays, August 7 – 28, 8:00pm
Join us every Thursday evening in August on the Caffe Cinquecento patio for a magical evening under the stars with contemporary Italian films.
Enjoy pizza or pasta al forno, and a glass of beer or wine for $20.00 + HST with the Cinema Sotto le Stelle special, available at Caffe Cinquecento throughout each screening.
Movies are in Italian with English subtitles.
“Ho Visto un Re”
- Thursday, August 7, 8:00pm
In a world of heroes and prisoners, one boy’s imagination turns reality into an adventure.
2024 | Comedy | Directed by Giorgia Farina.
Plot:
In 1936, after the Ethiopian occupation by Fascist Italy, the residents of a small Italian town, Abraham Imir, look on in disbelief as an Ethiopian prince and guerrilla fighter is locked in a makeshift aviary in the local Podesta garden. In the fascist era, Emilio’s father captured an African prince, and to the child, it seemed like a great adventure. Enter Emilio, a newly enlisted Balilla force member who’s more lost in fantasy than reality. To him, the prince isn’t a prisoner-he’s Sandokan, the famous hero from Salgari’s novels. In Emilio’s eyes, the prince is a larger-than-life figure, inspiring him to adopt a heroic persona despite the absurdity of the situation.
A future found through memories of the past, and truths of the present.
2024 | Drama | Directed by Sara Fgaier.
Plot:
Gian, a 65-year-old ethnomusicology professor, struggles with sudden amnesia, haunted by flickering fragments of his past. His hazy recollection of his memories serving as a haunting reminder of the pain of his new condition. Despair drives him to attempt suicide, but he fails. His daughter Miriam, whom he no longer recognizes, moves in with her son Elyas and gives Gian a diary he wrote in his twenties. The diary reveals Leila, a French-Tunisian woman he loved during one unforgettable night on an Italian beach – a love bound by a promise never fulfilled. As memories resurface, Gian begins reconnecting with his younger self. Through this journey, fueled by passion and loss, Gian rediscovers himself and learns to accept his pain and reclaim his memory.
“Vermiglio”
- Thursday, August 21, 8:00pm
In one year, things are born, broken, and made a new.
2024 | Drama, Historical | Directed by Maura Delpero.
Plot:
Vermiglio is set in 1944, in a remote, snow-covered mountain village where the war feels both distant and ever-present. The arrival of Pietro, a quiet and brooding Sicilian soldier who has deserted the front, unsettles the delicate rhythms of the local schoolmaster’s large family. Though the world beyond the mountains edges toward peace, their household is swept into emotional upheaval. Amid the uncertainty, a tender romance develops between Pietro and Lucia, the eldest daughter – a connection that defies the chaos around them. Their bond deepens, culminating in a marriage that unexpectedly alters the family’s destiny. Through themes of love, displacement, and renewal, Vermiglio offers a poetic reflection on how, in just one year, everything can be lost and remade.
“L’Abbaglio”
- Thursday, August 28, 8:00pm
Defying the odds to unite Italy.
2024 | Drama, Historical | Directed by Roberto Andò.
Plot:
Giuseppe Garibaldi embarked on the legendary Expedition of the Thousand from Quarto, accompanied by a wave of young idealists from every corner of Italy. Among his loyal officers was a new and notable figure—Colonel Vincenzo Giordano Orsini of Palermo. Among the many volunteers who joined Garibaldi’s cause were two Sicilians: Domenico Tricò, a farmer who had migrated north, and Rosario Spitale, an illusionist. Upon landing in Sicily at Marsala, the Thousand immediately engaged the Bourbon army, whose numerical superiority was glaringly apparent. With the enemy’s strength seeming overwhelming, it appeared nearly impossible for Garibaldi to break through their defenses and reach Palermo. However, just when retreat seemed inevitable, Garibaldi conceived a brilliant and daring plan.
Price:
$5.00 (deposit to secure seat)
This is an outdoor event, rain or shine.
“On New Ground”
Giuseppe Mercurio Toronto Retrospective
- September 4 – 29, 2025
- Opening Reception: Thursday, September 4, 6:00 – 9:00pm
Villa Charities presents a retrospective of Giuseppe Mercurio’s work, a significant representative of the Italian artistic diaspora to Canada after the Second World War.
The exhibition spans thirty years of work, featuring a rich selection of pieces created using various techniques and media. The result is a fascinating and unpredictable artistic journey, starting with black-and-white photographs that capture deep emotion and symbolism—particularly the hands of his mother kneading bread, a central figure in Mercurio’s life—and culminating in the bold colours and experimental techniques of his most recent acrylic canvases.
Price:
FREE
Please register for the Opening Night Reception on Thursday, September 4 at 6:00pm.
Jump, Jive & Wail
A Tribute to Louis Prima
- Tuersday, September 9, 7:30 – 9:00pm
Get ready to relive the golden age of Las Vegas with “Jump, Jive & Wail: A Tribute to Louis Prima”, featuring Rocco Continenza and the Testifiers!
The 8-piece band serves up the swingin’-est, wildest, and zaniest set of Louis Prima hits from the ‘50s and ‘60s era including: “Oh Marie”, “Angelina (Zooma Zooma)”, “Buona Sera”, “When You’re Smilin’”, “Pennies from Heaven”and more. This interactive show is part lounge act, part history lesson, part celebration of the Italian (Sicilian) musical contributions to Jazz and a whole lotta fun.
Don’t miss an unforgettable night of high-energy musical entertainment that will have you singing, grooving and smiling – and get ready to swing like crazy as these cats bring the house down!
Price:
$25.00 (Adults) / $20.00 (Seniors/Students)
“The Devil In His Big Blue Eyes”
Book Launch with Author Marlene Giuliano
- Friday, September 12, 7:00 – 8:30pm
Join author Marlene Giuliano as she shares the true account of her life, family, and the spiritual battles that tested her faith and love for her children.
What would you do if your teenager while surfing the web made an alliance with the devil? After being bullied at school, he retreated to his room where extreme degeneration, murderous thoughts and confusion consumed his mind.
Through overwhelming challenges, the help of God, support of the church, and a chance encounter, Marlene’s son recovered. “The Devil in His Big Blue Eyes” is a remarkable story of courage, inspiration and hope.
Price:
A ‘PAY WHAT YOU CAN’ EVENT.
(Donations welcome at the door.)
Academy of Realist Art
Studio Gallery Tours
- Saturdays, September 20, 27, October 4 & 11,
11:00am – 5:00pm - Mondays, September 22, 29, & October 6,
10:00am – 6:00pm - Thursdays, September 25, October 2, & 9,
10:00am – 4:00pm
At the Academy of Realist Art, through a unique step-by-step process, students master the skills and disciplines needed to create realist art.
Visit the in-studio art gallery and be amazed by great classical works of art by our students and master instructors.
For more information, email info@academyofrealistart.com or call 416-766-1280.
Price:
FREE

Location:
Academy of Realist Art
Third Floor, Columbus Centre
Sponsored by Academy of Realist Art.
Official Festival Hub of 2025 Ontario Culture Days.
Recreational Drop-in Dance Classes
DanzArts Toronto
- September 22 – 27, 2025
Interested in trying out a new dance class? DanzArts Toronto is excited to introduce children (ages 2.5+) and adults to the joy of dance by showcasing its benefits in a fun and inclusive environment! From September 22 to 27, sign up for any of DanzArts’ Recreational classes designed to nurture creativity and provide a rewarding dance experience for all students. Classes include Tiny Tots, Ballet, Jazz, Hip-Hop and Acro.
For more information, email dance@danzartstoronto.com or call 647-954-9868.
* Dates & times subject to Recreational class schedule & availability.
Price:
FREE
Yoga in the Gallery
with Seth Mohan
- Tuesdays, September 23 & 30, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Join us for free drop-in yoga classes and amidst the backdrop of stunning artwork in the Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery. Expert instructor Seth Mohan will teach participants the movement, meditation and breathing techniques of Gentle Hatha Yoga and Hatha Yoga, to promote mental and physical well-being.
Participants will receive a 20% Discount Voucher toward a Columbus Centre Athletic Club Membership.
For more information, email fitness@villacharities.com or call 416-789-7011 ext. 213
Gentle Hatha Yoga in the Gallery
- Tuesday, September 23, 1:00 – 2:00pm
Gentle Hatha Yoga is designed for older adults who may be experiencing depression, mental stress, arthritis, or osteoporosis. In this class, you will learn to meditate, breath correctly though yoga methods that will improve your body posture awareness and self-confidence. No mat work, and chairs will be provided. Maximum number of participants is 30.
Hatha Yoga in the Gallery
- Tuesday, September 30, 1:00 – 2:00pm
The primary purpose of yoga is the reconditioning of the system, both body and mind, to achieve the highest possible standard of physical stamina, mental health, and organic vigour. Hatha Yoga is considered as a method that produces maximum results with minimal energy expenditure. Maximum number of participants is 15. Participants should bring their own mats.
Price:
FREE
Books and Biscotti
Book Readings and Discussion
- Wednesday, October 1, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Join us for a celebration of literature with an evening of poetry and short stories featuring Italian Canadian authors Bruna Di Giuseppe-Bertoni, Natalie Boccia, Joe Giampaolo, Christopher Manieri, Gianna Patriarca, and Maria Zarrone.
This free event is organized by the Association of Italian Canadian Writers. Space is limited.
Coffee and biscotti will be served.
Price:
FREE
Villa Colombo Seniors Art Show
Art Show and Sale
- Saturday, October 4, 11:00am – 3:00pm
Enjoy the artworks created by the seniors group at Villa Colombo Toronto. Led by local artists, the collection includes acrylic and oil paintings. On display and available for purchase.
Price:
FREE

Location:
Lobby, Columbus Centre
With support from Villa Colombo Toronto.
Official Festival Hub of 2025 Ontario Culture Days.
Stone Art
Creation Workshop
- Tuesday, October 7, 1:00 – 2:30pm
Join us to create beautiful and colourful patterns on river rocks in this hands-on stone art workshop. Learn the history of stone art while learning a variety of design techniques. All materials will be supplied.
Price:
FREE

Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
Official Festival Hub of 2025 Ontario Culture Days.
Tarantelle d’Italia
Ballo Liscio Social Dancing
- Wednesday, October 8, 6:30 – 8:30pm
Enjoy the Tarantella, a folk dance from various regions of Italy in this Ontario Culture Days edition of our Ballo Liscio social dancing nights! Led by expert dance instructors, you’ll discover the music and dance of the Tarantelle d’Italia, and enjoy entertainment by Fortunato Gratta.
Price:
FREE
Limited seating available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Location:
Joseph D. Carrier Art Gallery,
Columbus Centre
Official Festival Hub of 2025 Ontario Culture Days.
For more information, please contact:
Mirella Tersigni
Cultural Manager, Cultural Programming
Email: MTersigni@villacharities.com