Undo’s West in St. Clairsville To Host Italian Festival Christmas Gala on Sunday
Derek Redd Trending
The spirit of the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival will meld with the spirit of Christmas on Sunday for a gala event.
The Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival's Christmas Gala will be held Sunday at Undo's West in St. Clairsville. Hors d'oeuvres will be served starting at 4 p.m. with a sit-down dinner following at 5 p.m. and dancing to round out the night from 6-8 p.m.
Festival president Michele Fabbro said the gala, to be held for the fourth time, was the brainchild of festival board member Janice Whipkey, who wanted to make sure the spirit of the Italian Heritage Festival -- one of the Ohio Valley's tentpole summer events -- can still be felt when winter hits.
"She wanted to do something special where we can have a good time and share Christmas and the holidays with friends and family," Fabbro said. "We can still stay in touch with a lot of the people who support the festival."
Guests will be greeted with individual antipasto trays when they arrive and then enjoy a sit-down Italian dinner provided by Undo's, complete with table wine. Throughout the night, guests will be able to bid on plenty of items in the gala's Italian auction.
Among the prizes are 14 themed baskets, a gift tree valued at $1,500 and a chef's table dinner from Pastaio restaurant in Winterville. With that prize, the winner and three guests will join the chef in a private room and watch him prepare a five- to six-course meal.
All proceeds from the gala go toward operating the festival and providing the scholarships its committee awards students each year.
Entertainment will be provided by Ray Massa's Eurorhythms, a Columbus, Ohio-based band that has performed in events stretching from Virginia to Nevada.
Fabbro said it's always wonderful to see the support the community gives to the festival, both during the summer and for the gala.
"It actually is overwhelming," she said. "Everybody has a good time. We'd like to see even more people have a good time, so reservations are still open. It's a great evening that will not disappoint."
Reservations can be made by calling the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival office at 304-233-1090 or by contacting any festival board member. Admission is $40 per person.