The parish community of Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church in Easton, Pa., will celebrate its annual Lebanese Heritage Days festival on Aug. 6-7.
The festival was established more than four decades ago to recognize and commemorate the rich traditions of the Lebanese American community in Easton. Rain or shine, Lebanese Heritage Days has become one of downtown Easton’s leading summer events. Each year, the festival draws thousands of people to the church parking lot at South 4th and Ferry streets, festooned with brightly colored tents and replete with the aroma and sounds of a traditional Lebanese celebration.
In addition to Lebanese fare, which includes (but certainly is not limited to) hummus (chickpea dip) and tabbouli (fresh vegetable and bulgur wheat salad) and grilled items such as shish kebab and chicken with garlic sauce, the grounds come alive this year with the sounds of Eddie Ossama and Rami Badr. Mass will be celebrated prior to the start of the festival on both days: Aug. 6 at 4 p.m. and Aug. 7 at 10 a.m. All are welcome to attend. The highlight of the weekend, however, is the performances of the children’s ethnic dance troupes on Saturday and Sunday evenings.
There will be children’s activities and games, souvenir shopping and much more. Credit/debit cards are accepted for many food items and souvenirs. The annual raffle will feature a Grand Prize of $10,000.
The festival will take place from 5 p.m. to midnight on Aug. 6 and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Aug. 7. For more information or to donate, contact the church at 610-252-5275, or email [email protected].
Visit the church’s Facebook page at OurLadyofLebanonEaston.