It’s a time to pump up the volume, both celebrating and sharing the cultures, languages and history of the Middle East, and a community with a local presence of more than 100 years.
The annual Mediterranean festival, set for Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 9 to 11 at St. Mary’s Syriac Orthodox Church in Shrewsbury, will showcase traditional food, and bring friends and neighbors together for three days of festivities.
“We show the people how we are friendly, and show that the volunteers work hard to make it successful. We introduce our food, our music,” said George Hanna, a festival organizer, and secretary of the church board of trustees.
“We’ve been in the area for years,” said Henri Bahnan, also an organizer, and “We are introducing out culture, our food and our traditions to the community.”
The highlights include “the food, the music, the dance,” Hanna said. “We have traditional dances, like dancing.” Throughout the Middle East, line dances, such as the Lebanese dabke, feature at celebrations. Everyone can get up, join hands, performing a repeating pattern of steps, enjoying the music, and the social connections of dancing.
Dances need just the right music, which will include three entertainers popular in Middle Eastern events throughout the region.
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‘Enjoying the food, enjoying the atmosphere’
The festival kicks off at 5 p.m. Aug. 9 with DJ Roy C, playing Middle Eastern music for dancing, listening, and setting the atmosphere for the festival.
“We’ll have a DJ on Friday night, with all the things that come with it — family, kids, drinks, food, enjoying the food, and the atmosphere,” said Bahnan. “Saturday night is the big night. We expect a lot of people, and it will be a very big event.”
Starting at noon Aug. 10, and going straight through midnight, the party really kicks into gear, and starting at 8:30 p.m., singer Marwan Zgheib takes the stage for a night of live music.
For the grand finale on Aug. 11, singer George Kentar, a Worcester resident originally from Syria, and popular in Middle Eastern music events, will perform 1 to 9 p.m. with a mix of traditional and contemporary Middle Eastern songs.
Throughout the festival, visitors can enjoy traditional Middle Eastern food, including falafel and kibbeh, and kids can make a big leap forward in the bouncy house.
Organizers expect an increase in attendance over last year. Hanna said, “Through three days from within and the outside, 5,000 to 10,000 people, depending on how the weather is.” Hanna said this year, “There is going to be more food, and more space to park.”
Hanna said, “This year, we are making some changes to our parking arrangements for the church festival. To create more parking spaces for our festival attendees, our volunteers and some parishioners will park at neighboring businesses.”
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‘Part of the American dream’
The church community formed a century ago, as people from the northern Middle East left their homelands, including countries and regions then occupied by the Ottoman Empire, in search of religious freedom.
Founded in 1923, the original church location was on Hawley Street in Worcester. When the church relocated to Shrewsbury, the original cornerstone came with it, and can be seen on the outside of the church.
In addition to languages such as English and Arabic, many church members also speak Aramaic, which like Arabic and Hebrew is a Semitic language. Originating in ancient Syria, many religious scholars believe Aramaic is the language spoken by Jesus.
In 2023, the church community celebrated its 100th anniversary, with a black-tie gala, greetings from local lawmakers, a display of religious artifacts, and a visit from Patriarch Ignatius Aphrem II, who has led the Syriac Orthodox community since his enthronement in Damascus, Syria, in May 2014.
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Since its founding, St. Mary’s has welcomed successive waves of immigrants from the Middle East, seeking opportunity, and sometimes, a place to call home after fleeing violence and conflict. “Every 10 to 20 years, new immigrants come,” said Bahnan. “The Syrian war, the Iraq war, we had more in the community, and the Lebanese war before that.”
Their experiences are the stories behind all the festival offerings. “Don’t forget the mixed marriages,” Bahnan said. “Our kids are now married to other groups, or vice versa, from the community.”
Bahnan said, “One thing I want to say about the people who came here is they are hard working, family-oriented.” Bahnan added, “Now in this generation, we have doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, people like this. And they are very, very smart, very dedicated to the life here, to being part of the American dream.”
St. Mary’s Mediterranean festival
When: Aug. 9 to 11
Where: St. Mary’s Syriac Orthodox Church, 1 Industrial Drive, Shrewsbury
How much: $2 admission, with food available for purchase. See St. Mary’s Facebook page.