- Featuring Arabic Food, Music and Culture
- Festival to Benefit Development of the Mariam Family and Youth Center
LIVONIA, Mich., Aug. 13, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Basilica of St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church announces their third annual "Sahara Fest," featuring Arabic food, music and culture. The Sahara Fest will take place on August 19, 20, 21 and 22, 2010 at Bryant Park, just south of St. Mary's Church on Merriman Road between Six and Seven Mile Roads (18000 Merriman Rd, Livonia, Michigan, 48152).
The Sahara Fest features authentic Arabic food, including famous Ramallah falafel, beef and chicken shawarma, kafta, hummus, and zalabieh. Live American and Arabic music will be performed, featuring the Bahu Brothers, Joseph Bishara, The Acrophobic Sherpas, Usama Baalbaki and Nasser Deeb. This year, the festival will also feature thrilling carnival rides from Wade Shows, a talent show, charity casino tent, arcade games, raffle, cash bar, and fun for the entire family.
Father George Shalhoub, pastor of St. Mary's said, "We welcome you to Livonia as we celebrate our third year. Sahara Fest is a bridge for all to celebrate our unique heritage and culture." He continued, "We have planned a family festival which has something for everyone, healthy Middle Eastern food, exciting music, dance, and fun activities for the whole family."
The Sahara Fest will benefit the development of the Mariam Center, a 30,000 square foot family and youth enrichment center, planned for completion in 2015. The Mariam Center is being developed to help support family and ethnic oriented activities for the City of Livonia and surrounding areas. The Mariam Center will have state of the art classrooms, offices, and gymnasiums that will support a positive environment for kids to learn and grow.
The Basilica of St. Mary's Antiochian Orthodox Church is a parish of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. The Church traces its roots in unbroken apostolic succession to first century Antioch, the city in which the disciples of Jesus Christ were first called "Christians." The church was founded in 1972 and is comprised of members from the Lebanese, Syrian, Jordanian and Palestinian communities.
Festival Hours:
August 19, Thursday--4pm to 10:00pm
August 20, Friday—2pm to 10:00pm
August 21, Saturday--10am to 10:00pm
August 22, Sunday—12pm to 8pm
For more information about the Sahara Fest contact:
St. Mary's Church: 734-422-0010
For media inquiries contact:
Warren David, David Communications: 313-999-6000
Email: warrend@davidcomgroup.com