Patrick Smith, Ottawa Citizen: Middle Eastern fare, music and a variety of cultural events will be on display during the Ottawa Lebanese Festival, which celebrates its 25th year of operation this month.
The festival, which opened Wednesday and runs until Sunday, will feature activities including dancing, live music from international musicians, children’s games, a raffle with a grand prize of $10,000 and a closing ceremony featuring a fireworks display.
The annual non-profit festival, held at St. Elias Cathedral directly across from Mooney’s Bay, has been located at the same place since its inaugural event in 1990. According to event organizer Ray Skaff, this is the biggest event they have ever organized, and the turnout is expected to reflect that fact.
“It started as a small idea that a few people had to help support the cathedral, and it’s now blossomed into this event,” he said. “On average, we get about 35,000 people a year. We’re expecting about 40,000 this year.”
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