The 3rd Annual Egyptian Festival takes over Sts. Peter and George Coptic Orthodox Church in Westlake on September 28 and 29, 2019

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On Saturday and Sunday, September 28 and 29, the 3rd Annual Egyptian Festival takes over the grounds and facility at Sts. Peter and George Coptic Orthodox Church in Westlake.

By Patricia Nugent

Cleveland is a town well-known for lovingly stirring its melting pot through summer festivals and fairs celebrating ethnic food, dance and traditions.

Coptic Orthodox Christians are members of the oldest denomination in Christianity, dating back to the middle of the first century. Copts are direct descendants of the Pharaohs, and they share the same passion for festivals and celebrations.

On Saturday and Sunday, September 28 and 29, the 3rd Annual Egyptian Festival takes over the grounds and facility at Sts. Peter and George Coptic Orthodox Church in Westlake.

Pharaoh’s Feast
Both indoors and out, food stations will serve traditional Egyptian delicacies, from baba ghannouj to hummus, tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves, lamb shank, lamb chops and moussaka.

“The best of our cultural street food will include falafel and ful medames (the national dish and traditional breakfast for Egyptians), a koshari bar, which is vegetarian, whole wheat pita bread baked in an outdoor oven and, of course, gyros,” says Nancy Daoud, who oversees festival operations.

Cleveland is a town well-known for lovingly stirring its melting pot through summer festivals and fairs celebrating ethnic food, dance and traditions.

“Our special guest is Mona Iskander, who owns Mezza Mediterranean Cuisine in Westlake. She shuts down her restaurant for those two days to come make her famous gyros, voted best in Cleveland.”

Grill stations will be fired up to sear beef, marinated chicken and lamb for mouth-watering kabobs and sandwiches.

Both indoors and out, food stations will serve traditional Egyptian delicacies, from baba ghannouj to hummus, tabbouleh, stuffed grape leaves, lamb shank, lamb chops and moussaka.

“One of our more popular items is liver sandwiches with green peppers and onions, as well as Egyptian-style beef sausage,” she adds. “Even our beverages are authentic, including mango smoothies, hibiscus juice and Egyptian coffee.”

And since this is a family-friendly fest that appeals to kids, too, there’ll be plenty of non-ethnic fare, from popcorn and hot dogs to cotton candy and funnel cakes.

More than a thousand people from across Northeast Ohio will converge on the 3rd Annual Egyptian Festival taking place on the grounds of Sts. Peter and George Coptic Orthodox Church. It’s a family-friendly event that features a mix of food and fun.

But the pièce de résistance comes with the dessert spread, which is seemingly endless, including tray after tray of scrumptious pastries.

“Everything is made from scratch, just as it was handed down from generation to generation,” says Nancy.

What Coptic Means
Copts were Egyptian descendants of the ancient pharaohs who became Christians when the Apostle Mark spread Christianity to Egypt. The word “Copt” is derived from the Greek word for “Egypt.”

“Although our history dates back centuries, as a faith we have a modern outlook in that we welcome new members of any ethnic background,” says Fr. Marcos Ghali, who is leader of Sts. Peter and George Coptic Orthodox Church in Westlake.

The church’s tagline is “Where authentic happens,” and it moved into the building on Hilliard Boulevard in 2015.

Ina B. of Vermilion said she joined the church in 2017 after considering many different churches. She explains,

“I wanted to find Christian traditions and receive spiritual wisdom and nurturing. The members here are deeply dedicated to God and family. Fr. Marcos, to me, is a humble and dedicated servant to our Lord. He serves and teaches so many, inside and outside of our church, throughout the community.”

Fr. Marcos says they offer classes in Orthodoxy, workshops for parenting and orchestrate a summertime Vacation Bible School. They also perform acts of service for others in the community including the homeless.

The church’s tagline is “Where authentic happens,” and it moved into the building on Hilliard Boulevard in 2015.

To find out more, check out the live streaming of weekly liturgy services on Spsg.church.

Dancing, Bouncing, Gaming
Inflatable bounce houses and carnival games will dot the grounds, as will an obstacle course. To take a little of the authenticity home with you, don’t miss henna painting artist Anna Soryal, who will be creating beautiful designs on fair-goers’ hands and wrists, which last a few weeks.

Nancy says the big draw last year was the Slime Station, run by the youth of the church. You can either buy ready-made slime, or have them customize yours to order, specifying color, metallic, glow in the dark, etc.

Egyptian music and folk-dance numbers by the youth group will be featured on the entertainment docket both days, as well as an appearance from the Avon Electric Orchestra, featuring SPSG youth group member Mireille Gendi on the viola, on Sunday, from 1 to 4 p.m.

“We are blessed,” says Fr. Marcos. “Over a thousand people come to our festival from all over Northeast Ohio. It’s a joyous, lively event we are pleased so many in the community share with us.”

Coptic Orthodox Christians are members of the oldest denomination in Christianity, dating back to the middle of the first century.

He says proceeds raised from the event will allow them to one day build a new church and gymnasium for youth activities.

Sts. Peter and George Coptic Orthodox Church is located at 25800 Hilliard Boulevard in Westlake. The Egyptian Festival takes place Saturday, September 28, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; and Sunday, September 29, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free. Call 440-250-0434 or visit Spsg.church, or their Facebook page, for more information.