Mark your calendars, local foodies !!! May 18th -20th, 2012 at the Dayton Convention Center is the “World A’Fair.” For those who don’t know, this International Festival has been a Dayton tradition for over 40 years. “A World A’Fair.” features food, dancing, music, costumes, and cultural exhibits that represent the ethnic backgrounds and cultures of the residents of the Dayton area. What better way to sample cuisine from around the world all by taking a few steps?
According to the World a’Fair Website,“Folklore Around the World” will be this year’s cultural theme. All of the participating countries will present folk traditions at their booths. Native American singing and dancing will be the Featured Entertainment. Spanish Flamenco dancers will be new entertainment for this year.
But you know your Food Adventurers visit this International Festival for one thing… FOOD !! In between hugging accordion players, and dancing with exotic women in traditional garb, we like to hit the booths for some international tastes.
The Food Adventures Crew would like to share some of our annual food favorites found at the “World A’Fair.”
The Creme Puffs at the South Slavic Booth are Incredibly Good
South Slavic Booth: The Creme Puffs here are to die for. They have traditional choices as well as chocolate ones.
Germany Booth: Everyone enjoys the Bratwurst here. We prefer loading it up with sauerkraut and mustard for that perfect bite. The soft pretzels are not bad either !
Scotland Booth: Daring Food Adventurers should try the Haggis .. it is a traditional Scottish dish. This version is ground liver meat served with crackers. Can you handle the real deal? Not your style? Then try their “Bridie” meat pie for a more tame dish.
Ireland Booth: The Beer here is the main attraction, but kids love the Irish Pub Fries.
Dutch Booth: Try the Appelflappen (fritters), and enjoy the women cooking in traditional outfits.
Greek Booth: The Gyros are fantastic here. They are the same group that makes the gyros and chicken gyros for the Greek Festival. The onions on the gyros make it fun to breathe on your friends afterwards.
Mexican Booth: The tacos and empanadas are made to order at this booth. The prices are cheaper than most other booths.
The Italian Wedding Cake is a Must
Italy Booth: Sure you can grab a freshly grilled Italian sausage with peppers and onions, but may we suggest their fabulous desserts? The Italian Wedding Cake is phenomenal and filled with strawberries and whipped cream. The Tiramisu and Cannoli are also top notch.
Korea Booth: The Veggie Dumplings were incredible. The dumplings
are huge and have a great, fresh taste.
Lebanon Booth: The Falafel is our favorite offering! This veggie patty is served in a pita for a great tasting sandwich.
This festival is close to The Big Ragu’s heart. We have some great childhood memories of coming to the World a’Fair with our parents and grandparents. You may even see The Big Ragu volunteering at the Italy food booths! This event is a true Dayton tradition, and May 18-20th is your chance to leave your mark on the legacy.
Veggie Dumplings from the Korean Booth
The secret to this festival is to visit many booths and try different food offerings. You never know what you are going to discover. A World A’Fair is a perfect excuse to take an afternoon, or an evening and escape everyday life for a couple of hours. and immerse yourself into different cultures and different foods.
All of the information can be found on www.worldafair.org. Tickets are $5 in advance, or $3 for children at any Kroger location. Tickets are also sold at the door for a couple of dollars more. You can also check out the website and find opportunities to volunteer for a country’s booth. However you decide to participate, make sure you visit this festival, bring friends, or kids and create some memories.
Have some memories to share about A WORLD A’FAIR ??? Are you coming to the 2012 event?? Please comment below!
“Like” Food Adventures on Facebook by clicking HERE !!
[album: http://www.daytonmostmetro.com/wp-content/plugins/dm-albums/dm-albums.php?currdir=/wp-content/uploads/dm-albums/worldaFair2012/]
