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FOODIE ALERT ! The Lebanese Festival, one of Dayton’s most unknown and underrated festivals will take place August 26th through August 28th.  Every year,  our Food Adventures crew loves the various exotic tasty treats that this fest has to offer.  The Festival is located on State Route 741 at a church across the street from Meijer, not far from the Alex Bell intersection.  We are totally hooked from the fantastic aroma always fills the air to the incredible entertainment.   If you have not experienced the Lebanese Festival, you are missing out on one of the Miami Valley’s best parties.  With exotic food and fun to be had by all, the event is full of personality and culture.

Hungry Jax, The Big Ragu and Chef House have all the scoop on this festival for our Food Adventure followers!

HERE’S THE SKINNY:
—Dayton’s Lebanese Festival will be held on Friday August 26th through Sunday, August 28th

++++ Festival Times:
++++ Friday, Aug 26: 6pm – 11pm
++++ Saturday, Aug 27: 11am – 11pm
++++ Sunday, Aug 28: 11am – 6pm 

— The street address for the festival is:
**** Saint Ignatius Maronite Catholic Church
**** 5915 N. Springboro Pike
**** Dayton, Ohio 45449

— FREE Admission, FREE Parking

— Attractions include Food Booths, Carnival Rides, Live Traditional Dancing exhibitions, Craft booths, Culture Displays, Pastries

This festival is a great place to browse.  Park your cars in the grass parking area, and make your way towards the large white food tent.  Inside the tent, was a large, easy to read menu at the “food line.” The friendly fest workers will explain that almost all the food is homemade. Your Food Adventure is about to begin.

 

To help you through this unique menu, we now present our patented feature.. our list of MUST EATS !

MUST EATS:

— MOUNTAIN BREAD:  Made in a station with a flatbread machine. The sign says “Mountain Bread.”  With a name like that, you gotta give it  a shot.

The Big Ragu loved this grilled flatbread topped with a nice garlic and sesame seed pesto like sauce and folded in half for easy eating.

— BEEF SCHWARMA:  The beef is sliced from a revolving spindle.  It is then stirred into sauteed tomatoes and onions.   It is topped with special cucumber like sauce and served in a thin flatbread which is wrapped like a burrito.  (Don’t like beef?  They have a chicken option as well).

— FRESH, HOMEMADE TABOULI SALAD: Tabouli is typically made with bulgur or couscous. It also includes tomatoes, finely chopped parsley, mint, onion and garlic, olive oil, lemon juice and salt. It is a fresh, healthy snack.

— KAFTA KABOBS:  Meat sticks, sometimes grilled and served on a skewer and seasoned to perfection.  This is a rare, hard to find specialty.

— FRESH HUMMUS: Smashed chick peas, made into a dip and served with pita chips.  Flavored with lemon juice, this simple treat is creamy and oh so good.

— SPINACH PIE: A delicately rolled bread with spinach, chives and cheese inside.  Bite into this unique appetizer, and you’ll be hooked.

— FALAFEL:  Tiny “hushpuppies” made with ground chick peas and cooked like a fritter.  Dip ’em in a ranch like sauce to get your kicks.

— THE DESSERT AREA:  Yes there is an entire area for delicate pastries and more. There were lots of baked goods that looked homemade. Most of them we had never seen before. Cookies called Mamool, Burma, Barazik and Ballourie. These traditional treats are great and many feature dates and pistachio as ingredients.

Honorable Mention: Stuffed Grape Leaves – little packages of flavor, that obviously take some time to make.

This festival is a full blown Food Adventure, with many more offerings to try.

CHECK OUT THE LIVE DANCING:
Make sure you sit at one of the tables in the entertainment area tent for a while.  Traditional music will play and some wonderful dancers will entertain the crowd. The performers wear elaborate costumes and sometimes hold fans and fabric which they used to dazzle the festival goers. No better way to enjoy a Food Adventure with authentic Lebanese food than with authentic music and dancing. Learn some great dance moves that you can use at a future date.

 

All in all, the Lebanese Festival is yet another unique eating experience in the Miami Valley. It was

wonderful to see the cultural displays, listen to traditional music and enjoy some Lebanese food. Make sure you catch this festival.  It is one you do not want to miss !

Have you been to the Lebanese Festival? Please comment below and tell us your favorite things about the event.

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