The 8th annual Assyrian Food Festival, a two-day celebration of Assyrian food, music, and heritage hosted by the Assyrian Church of the East, Diocese of the Eastern USA, took place at the Morton Grove Park District on August 22 and 23 from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Bishop Mar Paulus Benjamin of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East addressed the crowd during Saturday's opening ceremony.
The opening ceremony gathered church dignitaries, community members and local officials.
This event, Bishop Benjamin said, is much more than a food festival.
"Every dish tells a story; the recipes we will enjoy are homemade by local Assyrians and passed down from generations -- when we share the food, we are keeping the stories and traditions alive," Bishop Benjamin said.
Organizers say the event's goals are threefold: to showcase Assyrian food and traditions, to educate the wider community about Assyrian heritage, and as a way of passing down cultural traditions to the younger generation -- framed around the community's ancestral homeland in Mesopotamia, also known as the cradle of civilization.
Live music, cultural exhibitions, Assyrian youth dance groups performed throughout the weekend, vendor tents, a beer and wine garden, and a kids' zone.
Entry to the festival was free, with food available for purchase.
The menu offered traditional Assyrian favorites: Beef and Chicken Shawarma, kabobs, falafel, grape leaves stuffed with vegetables and rice, along with an assortment of pastries including Baklava, Kilecheh, and Kadeh.
Morton Grove Mayor Janine Witko attended Saturday's festival.
"It's wonderful to see Assyrian pride and dedication to keeping the beauty of these cultural traditions alive. In sharing the gifts of culture, our entire community finds enrichment," Witko said.
Albert Youna, executive board president of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East, said Morton Grove, Skokie, Niles, Lincolnwood, and the surrounding communities have a vibrant Assyrian population totaling over 100,000 residents.
"Last year we had 10,000 people attend the festival over the weekend, both Assyrian and non-Assyrian attendees, and we expect at least that many this year," Youna said.
All donations and event proceeds will go directly to support Church of the East programming, Youna said.
"It has been a long-time dream of His Grace Bishop Mar Paulus Benjamin to create an event like this one, to showcase the hospitality and community of our people by inviting everyone in Chicagoland to come and enjoy our music, food and culture," Youna said.
or register to post a comment.