Museum preps for Italian dinner | News

Tickets are $100 per couple and are available by calling museum President Donny Orlando at 985-320-6007 or the museum at 985-878-3773. As of Wednesday afternoon, fewer than 10 tickets were left.

That already puts the attendance for this weekend’s event over that of Night in Little Italy last year, which sold out at 200 guests. The museum increased capacity to 300 this year.

Orlando said last year’s event met the goal of funding a roof replacement for the museum, which is housed in the old Mater Dolorosa Catholic Church building on Louisiana Highway 40 in Independence. The fundraiser also allowed the board and volunteers to paint framework, replace glass, upgrade light fixtures, and start repainting the interior.

This year’s goal is to raise enough to replace the building’s flooring, do more electrical work and create on-site digital records of local Italian lineage and of the museum’s exhibits.

One renovation, if finished in time, will add more light to the event’s starry night. Volunteers have refurbished the original cross from the church roof and are having a neon light installed to make the fixture visible from a distance.

“That’s a big deal,” Orlando said. “That’s some of the things we’re trying to accomplish in preserving and upgrading the museum for future use. The funds would give us the means to improve and do a whole lot in there.”

Volunteers are also key to the event, as the food and wine are the result of donations of time and resources. Chefs for the event are Kevin Calmes, Jimmy Gregory, Michael Liuzza and Doyle Orlando. The wine will come from Henry Amato’s Winery.

“They’re very giving. Just about everybody in Independence is like that,” Donny Orlando said.

The meal will include shrimp, crab, pork and beef recipes. Homemade bread will also be a featured delicacy, accompanied by the traditional toppings of olive oil, cheese, and black pepper. There will be Italian iced tea and a cash bar.

The MaMa Mias and Robert Calmes will provide Italian and Sicilian music.

“Like going to grandma’s house on the weekend, to eat and enjoy company like we used to do,” Orlando said.