Italian Social Clubs in Nashville, TN

• Nashville has several social clubs for those interested in Italian culture. Buena Vista Images/Photodisc/Getty Images

  Nashville, Tennessee is just about as far away from Italy as you can get. But even with the wide distance, folks in Nashville have found a way to connect to others through a common love of Italy. There are a few Italian social clubs in Nashville, each offering its own spin on events featuring the culture of Italy.

The Nashville Italian Connection

• The Nashville Italian Connection is a Meetup group that has over 100 members (Meetup is an online website that connects like-minded people). The Nashville Italian Connection is designed to bring people who have a common interest in Italian language and culture together. The club meets regularly for events featuring Italian food, wine, music and language. Some of the group's past "meetups" include a wine-making event, Italian movie night and group travel to Italy. Interested parties can join the group by contacting the group organizer via the group's Meetup website.

Italian for Fun

• Italian for Fun is a conversational Italian club that is offered at Nashville's Coco's Italian Restaurant and Market. Patti Franklin Nelson, the club's instructor, has been speaking and singing professionally in Italian since the age of 19, according to the Italian for Fun website. She teaches weekly classes for adults and children in the form of group or private party lessons. Each course typically runs for 10 weeks, with costs starting at $150 as of 2010. This club is not just for learning the Italian language; it is also to foster friendships and find others with a common interest.

Italian Language, Wine and Culture Club

• The Italian Language, Wine and Culture Club in Nashville is another group that was created and is organized through the Meetup website. The club has close to 150 members as of 2010, making it the largest Italian social club in the area. Club members meet at a local authentic Italian eatery, Coco's Italian Market, on a sporadic basis to discuss the Italian language, enjoy cooking demos and sample Italian wines. The group also features guest speakers from Italy who offer lessons on the Italian language, along with travel tips.