June 3, 2008     

The City of Alexandria Holds Sixteenth Annual Armenian Festival
Event Highlights the Sights, Sounds, Food and Culture of Armenia

The City of Alexandria will host its Sixteenth Annual Armenian Festival on Saturday, June 7, from noon to 6 p.m., at Market Square, 301 King St. Admission is free and the festival will be held rain or shine.

Entertainment features the renowned Arax Armenian Dance Ensemble, which has performed its unique line and circle dances in beautiful authentic folk costumes throughout the East Coast, with Artistic Director Carolyn Rapkievian; vocalists Vivian Chakarian, Pamela Tossounian and Naira Babayan singing Armenian folk songs; the Birky Family enacting Armenian folk tales; story time for children and Armenian folk tunes. 

The festival will feature displays showcasing Armenian paintings and arts and crafts. Beef, lamb and pork kabobs, lahmajun (a Middle Eastern style gourmet pizza), dolma (stuffed vegetable dishes), pitas, chopped vegetable salad, baklava (a layered pastry made of phyllo dough filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup), and other food and beverages will be available for purchase.

The Armenian Festival is an annual charity event that benefits Alexandria’s Sister City, Gyumri, in Armenia. Proceeds from the festival support the humanitarian and educational needs of Gyumri’s citizens. The City’s Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities and the Alexandria-Gyumri Sister City Committee are co-sponsoring the event.

Visitors to the historic district are encouraged to take the Metro Yellow or Blue lines to the King Street Station in Old Town and ride the free King Street Trolley, take DASH and Metro Buses, or park in one of the convenient parking garages or lots. For DASH schedule information, call 703.370.DASH or visit www.dashbus.com.  For Metrobus schedule information, call 202.637.7000 or visit www.wmata.com.
 
The City of Alexandria is committed to compliance with the City’s Human Rights Code and the Americans with Disabilities Act.  To request a reasonable accommodation or to request materials in an alternative format, call Cheryl Lawrence, Special Events Supervisor, at 703.838.4844 (TTY 703.838.4902) or e-mail cheryl.lawrence@alexandriava.gov.
           
For additional information, call the City’s Special Events Hotline at 703.883.4686.

www.alexandriava.gov