A tradition for 87 years and counting in Wichita, the St. Mary’s Mediterranean Festival celebrates the culture, heritage, and food that the church’s founders brought with them when they came to the United States.
Admission is FREE and this is a very family-friendly event.
Food
Of course, one of the most beloved things about Wichita’s Mediterranean Festival is the food.
All of it is handmade from scratch. You’ll find large a la carte menu of dishes from Lebanon, Syria, and Greece.
Lebanese chicken kababs, kafta, hummus, rice & green beans, baklawa sundaes, assorted desserts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages will be available both days of the festival.
On Friday only, they’ll also have Egyptian potato salad and talame bread with za’atar dipping sauce.
On Saturday only, they’ll also be serving kibbee, cabbage rolls, and Greek salad.
You can purchase lunch or dinner and either dine inside, outside under their covered tent, or take your food to go.
Activities
This year’s Mediterranean Festival in Wichita will be a two-day event, beginning with music, dancing, and food on Friday night. They’ll have a DJ curating both contemporary dance and ethnic music while guests join together for traditional “dubke” dancing. (They say the dance is easy to learn and fun for all ages!)
They’ll also be serving a variety of Mediterranean food, wine, beer and liquors during the Friday night festivities.
Then on Saturday, the second day of the festival, they’ll offer a variety of activities, including church tours, Byzantine art demonstrations, ethnic dancing, balloon twisting and lots of other kid fun, and the Vespers evening church service.
Marketplace
A Mediterranean Marketplace will also be set up on Saturday where you can find a variety of baked goods from Mediterranean countries, and try samples of rich Turkish coffee. Many items for sale at the marketplace can’t be found anywhere else in Wichita.
The St. Mary’s Mediterranean Festival has FREE admission for everyone. You’ll just want to budget for food and shopping. Food prices range from $1 to $6. According to the website, they accept cash, check, and credit cards.
A portion of the proceeds from the festival each year go to support a local charity. This year’s charity is the Child Advocacy Center of Sedgwick County’s Hope & Healing project.
Friday night’s Hafli is from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Saturday the festival hours are noon to 8 p.m.
Wichita St. Mary’s Mediterranean Festival
Date: May 17 and 18, 2019
Time: 6-10 p.m. on Friday; Noon – 8 p.m. on Saturday
Location: St. Mary Orthodox Christian Church, 344 S Martinson St, Wichita, Kansas 67213
Cost: FREE admission; bring money for food and shopping
For more information and for updates, visit either the St. Mary’s Wichita website or the festival event page on Facebook.
More Annual Wichita Festivals and Events
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