What started in 1985 as a picnic with an invite to the community has grown in size and scope to become the popular Lebanese Food Festival.
This year marks the 41st anniversary of the festival, held September 11 – 13, and the parishioners of Saint Anthony Church want to take the time to acknowledge and thank Monsignor George Sebaali for having the foresight to introduce the festival to the Richmond community.
“We have had hundreds of thousands of people come through over the years,” says Sandra Joseph Brown, volunteer. “We now have second and third generations of families that come to the festival. Once people come they return every year.”
By the Numbers
Perhaps the story is best told through numbers. Volunteers are now in the process of rolling 10 miles of three-inch long grape leaves. Laid end to end they would reach from Saint Anthony’s to the Goochland County line and back. Volunteers will make 1,800 pounds of kibbeh in five ounce portions, 60,000 Lebanese pastries and 40,000 pies — 10,000 each spinach, meat, cheese and Feta and spinach. “We never have a pie left,” Brown says. They will go through 2,000 pounds of flour and sugar to make Zalabia — think melt-in-your-mouth small, round doughnut-like delicacies. “We also have one 18 wheel tractor-trailer refrigerated truck dedicated to produce for the tabouli,” Brown says. “We hand-make all the shawarmas and have 1,000 pounds of falafel when it’s made.”
This year the festival will hold the first ever in the world Zalabia eating contest. Tickets for the contest are $5 each. Five names will be drawn on Saturday evening and those five contestants will advance to the stage where they will have a 90-second window to eat as much Zalabia as they can. The winner will receive $500 cash and bragging rights as the first Worldwide Zalabia eating contest winner.
“We hope this will catch on with other Lebanese food festivals around the world,” says Brown. “This year, we will also have a special tribute to 9/11featuring a banner and a live tribute in memory of those we lost.”
New Menu Items, Live Music, and More
Two years ago, the festival introduced Lebanese potato salad, a vegetarian dish made of chilled diced potatoes with parsley, onions, lemon juice, olive oil and mint. “It went over well. That will be one of our staple foods now,” Brown says. “We will also have bulk food, prepared frozen items with cooking instructions that people take home and cook. All of the food is made from authentic recipes.”
The festival will have online menus and any orders will be ready Friday morning, September 11. Guests can eat their dinners outside in the pavilion, which seats 500, or indoors at the al la carte dining room. Lebanese beer and wine will be available.
Again this year, the festival’s traditional band, the Mazloom family and the dance troupes will entertain the crowd.
The festival is also adding a booth that will sell products such a spice and olive oil. Proceeds from booth sales will go to Lebanon to help with the country’s devastation.
Community Help is Key
“Henrico County has been wonderful in working with us,” Brown says. “While we have ample parking available at the festival, I do also want to thank Markel and Atlantic Union Bank, which have always been generous to let us use their parking lots for offsite parking. Anybody who parks there will get a coupon for a free piece of Baklawa.”
The annual three-day event wouldn’t be able to take place without the over 250 families from the church that volunteer their time. “Everyone helps. We have four generations of families that work on the festival,” Brown says. “We have from our youngest volunteers to our youngest at heart member “Uncle” Eddie Shibley who oversees the cooking of the 40,000 pies. He’s definitely our quality control.”
The Lebanese Food Festival runs September 11 – 13. It is open on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Service dogs are the only dogs allowed on festival grounds. Admission and parking for the event to the Lebanese Food Festival are free. Free offsite parking and shuttle services are available at the Markel Office building and Atlantic Union Bank, as well as at two other locations. Visit lebanesefoodfestival.com where you’ll find hyperlinks to all of the four parking sites. Anyone who rides the shuttle will get a ticket they can turn in to get a free Baklawa at the sweets booth.
For more information on the Lebanese Food Festival, menus, and parking, visit lebanesefoodfestival.com online or on Facebook or on Instagram at lebanesefoodfest.
