Ferragosto BBQ & Bocce

Come celebrate Ferragosto with Dante Society! 🍉🍷🇮🇹

Enjoy an afternoon of Italian BBQ with Italian sausage sandwiches, peppers and onions; salad, watermelon, wine and other beverages; music, friends, and a fun bocce tournament under the beautiful redwoods. We will provide place settings and cups. Please feel free to bring a bottle of wine to share and if you want to bring your nonna’s favorite dessert, that would be welcome! Every ticket includes a beverage.

About the Bocce 7s Tournament

Come with a team of 2-4 players, or if you want to play and don’t have a team, we’ll find one for you! It’s a simple elimination tournament. Games are to seven points. There will be prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place teams. If you don’t know how to play, we’ll teach you! All are welcome. Members of Team Dante will be there to help. Enjoy Italian music while we let the good times roll!

Cost: Dante members $25 per person | non-members $35 

*Dante members must be logged into and register on the Dante website for the discount to apply. Please contact us if you need help applying the discount.

Tickets must be purchased by August 21; No tickets will be sold at the event.

Parking is free and park rules prohibit dogs. 

Ticket purchase supports Dante's Cabrillo scholarship program & the Film & Lecture Series

Any questions, please contact Laurie dantesantacruz1265@gmail.com

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🍉🍷🇮🇹 WHAT IS FERRAGOSTO? 🍉🍷🇮🇹

Back in 2021, our board President and Language Instructor, Mirella Savegnago, put this together for those of us unfamiliar with this Italian holiday.

HISTORY OF FERRAGOSTO

Ferragosto is a national public holiday in Italy always celebrated on August 15th despite which day of the week it falls on. In a Catholic country such as Italy, this is the Feast of the Assumption of Mary to heaven. However, the traditions of Ferragosto go further back in time to Ancient Rome. Ferragosto comes from the Latin 'feriae Augusti' (the festivals of the Emperor Augustus), the first Roman emperor, reigning from 27 BC until his death in AD 14, who also gave his name to the month of August (AGOSTO).

It was first introduced in 18 BC as part of the longer Augustali period of rest that marked the end of the harvest as well as to celebrate Augustus' victory in key battles of the time. As the Roman Empire turned to Christianity, this pagan holiday was adopted and converted into a holiday for the Assumption, the day the Virgin Mary was received in heaven.

Ferragosto became a modern holiday during the Fascist regime of Mussolini. Attracted to its Imperial Roman origins, Mussolini declared it as a national holiday as part of efforts to forge a national identity for Italy.

HOW IS FERRAGSOTO CELEBRATED?

Today, Ferragosto is the most important day of summer in Italy. It celebrates the middle of the Italian summer with fireworks, religious celebrations and feasts. It marks the period of Italy's summer holiday season. Italy almost shuts down and many people take a trip to escape from the stifling heat of the cities. As August 15th is a national holiday, all government offices, post offices, banks and educational institutions will be closed. As the holiday falls in the height of the tourist season, most museums, tourist attractions and cultural sites will stay open on Ferragosto.

IS FOOD PART OF FERRAGOSTO?

Whether seaside, mountainous or pastoral, the one unchanging variable is gathering friends and families around food. Italian food is regional. So the menu can vary considerably, however, something that will never be missed on Ferragosto table:  🍉Watermelon (in Italian: COCCOMERO o ANGURIA)

Roadside stands selling whole watermelons or chilled slices of the fruit are a summer feature throughout Italy. The hand-painted signs on country roadside stalls invite buyers to come test the product before buying it. This pre-purchase appraisal includes the cutting of a small wedge, called tassello, for quality evaluation.

After the gargantuan Ferragosto celebratory meal, dunking one’s face in large slices of chilled watermelon and wash your face all in one go’. 🍉🍷