Festival City?
That could well be a tag line for Cranston, simply because the City plays hosts to three of the state’s largest and most diversified summer food fests every year.
It all started back late July when Cranston welcomed thousands of people to the 112th Annual San Gennaro Feast who enjoyed a variety of Italian food offerings, most notably the highly popular sausage and pepper sandwiches along with a fantastic fireworks display.
Just last weekend, an estimated 25,000 people took in the 32nd Annual three-day Cranston Greek Festival at the Church of the Annunciation on 175 Oaklawn Ave. and savored everything from Rhode Island’s best Gyros to roast lamb and chicken dinners and creations like baklava and rice pudding.
This weekend, the 4th Annual Lebanese Festival will take center stage at St. George Maronite Catholic Church, which is located in the former St. Ann’s parish at 1493 Cranston St. adjacent to St. Mary’s Church.
“We proudly invited everyone in Cranston – and from other parts of our great state – to join us for a weekend full of great food, company and fun for the entire family,” said Rev. Edward Nedder, the priest at St. George’ Maronite which was once located in Pawtucket until fire ravaged the parish four years ago. “Our parishioners work tirelessly all year to put this festival together.”
Nedder, who announced that most festival will be held under a huge tent with the exception of a few children’s events, also issued a pre-festival thank you for “all the community support we’ve received during our previous three festivals here in Cranston.”
Tony Simon – a well-known public relations specialist who was once active in Rhode Island’s political arena and now owns and operates Simon Consultants in Providence – said “We’ll have parish pride at its all-time best; over 150 volunteers will work through the weekend to provide delicious homemade Lebanese cuisine, desserts and beverages.”
Simon said there will also be live Arabic entertainment performances each evening by St. George Maronite’s Dance Troupe as well as a variety of family fun activities.
The festival will open Friday, Sept. 15, at 4 p.m. and continue through 11 p.m. Saturday’s hours are noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday volunteers will begin cooking and serving what in previous festivals has been known as “super Lebanese food” beginning at noon and continuing through 7 o’clock.
So, if you like Stuffed Grape Leaves – that Simon said will be available with a vegetarian slant or with meat – the 4th Annual Lebanese Festival is the place to be this weekend.
Likewise, Hummus and Tabouli will be among the festival favorites and both are served with fresh pita bread.
While the Shish Kabob is skewers of marinated grilled beef served with vegetables, salad, rice and pita bread, another popular food item is the Shish Tawook, skewers of marinated grilled chicken and served the same side dishes as a Kebab.
Baked Kibbee, Lebanon’s national dish which is a mixture of beef, bulgar wheat and traditional spices stuffed with baked lamb and baked will also be on this weekend’s festival menu.
“Lots of people will come here just to taste the Kafta,” Simon said of yet another appetizing offering that’s grounded beef and mixed with onion, traditional Lebanese herbs and grilled and served with salad, hummus and pita bread. The festival the menu also includes Falafel, mashed chickpeas blended with traditional apices and deep-fried.
Simon also wanted it known that this weekend’s three-day festival will have a variety of homemade sweets like Mammoul, a traditional Lebanese cookie filled with apricot and goes quite nicely with a Lebanese coffee.
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