Enjoy taste of la dolce vita close to home

The club’s biggest event of the year, the annual ball, presents the nearest thing to Italy in the Great Southern, complete with an authentic four-course meal and Italian music.

Albany Italian Club secretary Peta Ruffo said it was a celebration and about keeping the 52-year-old club operating.

“The idea behind the annual ball is for people to be able to dress up and come along and enjoy traditional Italian food, Italian music and Italian hospitality and fun,” she said.

“It’s very important to keep the club going because our grandparents and parents were the ones that started the club and now our generation wants to keep it alive and going for our children.”

You don’t need to be Italian to come along, and Ms Ruffo said it was the quickest and cheapest way to spend the night in Italy.

“The ball is our biggest fundraiser; last year we re-roofed the club as it was long overdue,” she said. “Now we are hoping to get our kitchen fully operational so we can do our own catering for any of our functions that we have already.”

The theme for this year’s event is An Evening in Venice and ball goers are told to expect a photo booth and Venetian decorations in and around the ball.

The ball will be held on August 26.

Tickets are available from Marshall Batteries.