Ciao Amici! Join us September 28th at the Kern County Museum!
The Italian Heritage Dante Association is proud to partner with the Kern County Museum and Kern Dance Alliance to bring an Italian cultural celebration to celebrate the ribbon cutting of Italian Heritage Farmhouse.
The event will be September 28th from 1-4 and we can't wait to see you and your families in attendance. This will be a day to reconnect with old friends while reminiscing about our Italian ancestors contributions to Kern County. Through our combined partnership you will get to have a true taste of Italy from food, drinks and dancing.
TASTE of DANCE - ITALY
CELEBRATING the ITALIAN HERITAGE FARMHOUSE DEDICATION
KERN COUNTY MUSEUM
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
1:00 - 4:00 PM
Celebrating the contributions of Kern County Italians throughout the decades, KDA is pleased to partner with the Kern County Museum and the Italian Heritage Dante Association by presenting Taste of Dance - Italy, a community event that coincides with the opening of the highly anticipated Italian Heritage Farmhouse at the Kern County Museum on Sunday, September 28 from 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
Nestled within the celebration of the opening of the museum’s Italian Heritage Farmhouse, Taste of Dance - Italy will feature traditional Italian folk dance performances performed by the Gypsy Folk Ensemble as well as Italian folk dance lessons where the community will learn the “tarantella”. Additionally, the event will feature Italian “tastes” provided by Reverb Coffee, GhilaDolci Bakery, Vecchio's Pizzeria & Gelateria, and Sweet Surrender.
EVENT ITINERARY:
Sunday, September 28
Kern County Museum
1:00 Event Begins
1:30 Ribbon Cutting of the ITALIAN HERITAGE FARMHOUSE
1:45 Italian Folk Dance Performance #1
2:30 Tarantella Dance Lesson
3:45 Italian Folk Dance Performance #2
4:00 Event Ends
Taste of Dance was originally created as a pilot program by KDA Board Member, Noor El Kereamy, in 2023. Due to the success of the program, KDA has been awarded several grants to continue hosting the project. With support from California Humanities, a non-profit partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Arts Council of Kern, Taste of Dance - Italy will kick off the first of four cultures featured throughout 2025 and 2026. October will feature Taste of Dance - Philippines and 2026 programs will feature Basque and Sikh communities.
The Italian Heritage Farmhouse is nearing completion by July 1st. The only remaining items to do are lighting fixtures and flooring.
The museum did a good job of adding details with Italian Provenance to the house. Most of the light fixtures are from the Sandrini Family and one from the Loppini Family. The bar is made out of wine barrels from the old Bugni Dairy. The Lemucchi- Valpredo Family is financially supporting the hospitality room with a displayed corkscrew collection from the Bugni, Ligari and Giumarra Families.
The dining room chandeliers and restroom mirror are from the Dante Hall. The museum is also adding a number of " il Ricorda" or keepsakes from local families such as dishes, dining room chairs and crucifixes.
The museum is working with the Dante Association on a ribbon cutting and dedication for Sunday September 28th, 2025 for dedication. Be sure to save this date and join us at the museum for the dedication.
The house is on its new foundation at the Kern County Museum and in the final stretch of renovations. This will be the first exhibit at the museum that will allow patrons to use the whole house for events.
The bedrooms were removed to create the large dining area that will be perfect to host your family parties. The house will feature a kitchen with a commercial range, a large dining area and a wine bar inside the house. The interior remodel is about 50% complete. The inside colors will be sage green and cream with open beams.
The attached garden in the back will be a Mediterranean design with original olive trees from the Bugni Dairy. The Mediterranean garden will be maintained by the Museum and North High FFA Students.
Donations Still Needed!
The museum is still accepting donations to the Italian Heritage Farm House project. They are also looking for small household items that would have been to the time of the house, mementos, and Catholica (Rosary's) to use as decorations. They are in need of a 12 foot long farm table or 12 foot boards that one can be made from. They need 14 dining chairs with no upholstery (all different types) . Please contact Mike McCoy at the Museum if you have an item to donate.