Mardi Gras season is here, and in the Soulard neighborhood of St. Louis, the celebration of the French holiday is in full swing. But what many Americans don’t realize is the period of festivities before the piety and holiness of Lent is also celebrated by other names and in other ways throughout Europe, particularly in Italy, where the holiday is known as Carnevale. 

Comunità degli Italiani, a local organization founded by Michael Cross, will be celebrating Carnevale with art, cocktails, and dinner this Saturday at Mad Art Gallery in Soulard. For Cross, who grew up in an Italian-speaking household (his mother was born in Trieste, in the far northeastern corner of Italy), founding the Comunità in 2017 came out of a love for his homeland, but also out of a desire to convey an accurate image of contemporary Italy.