Armenia is among the world’s longest surviving civilizations and Armenians have a long history in the Milwaukee area. Since the 1930s, the local Armenian community gathered every summer for a picnic featuring traditional Mediterranean dishes made from old family recipes.
That informal picnic has grown into Armenian Fest, a popular attraction for Milwaukee festivalgoers seeking good food at reasonable prices in a warm, welcoming setting.
This year’s Armenian Fest will be held, rain or shine, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, July 17 on the grounds and in the culture hall of St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church, 7825 W. Layton Ave.
Admission and parking are free.
Although similar in some respects to the cooking of Greece and other Eastern Mediterranean nations, Armenian cuisine includes many unique dishes and often draws from a different array of spices and ingredients than the recipes of its neighbors.
The menu will include chicken, beef and lulu kebob, cheese and spinach burek, lamajoun (a pizza-like dish served on thin tortilla dough), hummus, tabouleh, vegetarian sarma and a mouthwatering array of baklava and other traditional pastries.
Traditional Armenian music and dancing will be performed live outside. Armenian Fest also features church tours and a culture book selling books, artifacts and Armenian wine by the bottle.
For more information, visit armenianfest.com.
