By: Taylor Christensen | Royal Oak Review | Published July 8, 2024
ROYAL OAK — Armenia Fest will be coming back to Royal Oak from 5 to 10 p.m. July 20 at the Royal Oak Farmers Market.
The festival is being put on by the metro Detroit Armenia Fest Committee, which is in collaboration with the Detroit Knights of Vartan.
It has been announced that this year the festival will honor Manoogian Manor, a nonprofit “home for the Armenian Aged,” and a member of the Livonia Business Hall of Fame that is celebrating its 75th anniversary.
Admission to the event is free, and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs to experience Armenian culture throughout the night. The event will include a ribboncutting ceremony and introduction of special guests at 6 p.m.
The Royal Oak Farmers Market will be transformed into a traditional Middle Eastern bazaar with booths that will have no Armenian crafts, artwork, souvenirs, music, cookbooks and jewelry.
Attendees can expect to hear traditional Armenian music, taste Armenian food, and experience a beer and wine garden featuring American and Armenian selections.
Silent auction items will be on display, and the winning bidders will be announced during the evening of the festival.
In addition, the 2024 Great Choreg (Armenian bread) Bake Off contest will take place at the festival, where the best choreg will be determined by a panel of judges.
The Hamazkayin Arax Dance Ensemble will be performing at the event. The group is composed of local Armenian youth trained in the art of Armenian folk dance.
Each year, organizers said, proceeds from Armenia Fest are donated to humanitarian Armenian causes. For more information, contact armeniafestmi@gmail.com.