The annual Lebanese Food Festival returns Friday, Oct. 23, at St. George Maronite Church on San Antonio's northwest side. Parish families are preparing Lebanese dishes for the gathering, which also features cultural performances and wine made by monks in Lebanon. The church is at 6070 Babcock Road.
A Weekend of Food, Culture and Faith
According to WOAI, festival attendees can expect to experience Lebanese culture, food and performances all in one setting. Lebanese families provide and prepare all of the festival's food themselves, with an emphasis on keeping dishes authentic, delicious and fresh, the station reports. The festival also features wines made by monks in Lebanon, a detail that underscores the event's deep ties to Lebanese religious and culinary tradition.
The gathering takes place at St. George Maronite Church, an Eastern Catholic parish following the West Syriac Antiochene tradition. The church can be reached at 210-690-9569, and more information is available at stgeorgesa.org.
Roots Going Back a Century
The festival itself is a relatively recent addition to a parish with a long history. The church's own account notes that the Lebanese Food Festival began in 2007 and has kept growing into one of San Antonio's unique food and cultural festivals, according to St. George Maronite Catholic Church. That growth builds on a community presence in San Antonio that stretches back decades before the festival ever started.
Lebanese Roots in San Antonio
Lebanese migration to South Texas predates the festival by more than a century. Lebanese arrivals in the latter part of the 19th century included families who founded St. George Maronite Catholic Church, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
The parish traces its origins to January 1925, when the first meeting was held to discuss establishing a Maronite church in the city, according to the church's history. The building where this year's festival takes place wasn't completed until decades later — Parishioner-architect Larry Raba designed the current church and Parishioner-contractor Mitchell Battros built it in 1979, with Archbishop Frances Zayek celebrating its dedication in 1980, the parish history states.
What to Know Before You Go
The festival's cooking is organized around parish families, giving the gathering a community focus alongside its food and cultural program.
Doors open Friday at the church on Babcock Road, giving San Antonio residents a chance to sample Lebanese cuisine and culture close to home this weekend.
