Lebanese Festival offers music, dance, cuisine

St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church will host its 21st annual Lebanese Food and Cultural Festival — a huge event with more than 300 volunteers and an average of 8,500 attendees — on Friday, April 26, and Saturday, April 27, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

And the food at the festival is completely “authentic,” according to organizer Anthony Bolus. “It’s hard to find homemade cuisines out there that have a grandmother’s touch,” he said.

That cuisine, available for dine in or take out, includes falafel, tabouleh, baked kibbee, spinach pies and grilled lemon chicken, plus Lebanese desserts. There’s also a silent auction, church tours, traditional dancing by church youth and a live Lebanese band, Amin Sultan from New York.

“We want people to come see what our food, heritage and culture are all about,” Bolus said.

A quarter of proceeds go to local and national charities, and the event has raised $509,000 since it began in 1999, according to Bolus. The Cedar 5K and a 1-mile fun run and walk Saturday will benefit The Exceptional Foundation in Homewood. To register, go to cedarrun5k.com.

Festival admission is free. For details, including parking, a menu and pricing, go to stelias.org.