The 3rd Annual Assyrian Festival will feature authentic foods, historical exhibits, live entertainment and a kids zone from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 26-27 at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds.

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July 28, 2017

The Turlock community is gearing up to host the 3rd annual Assyrian Festival with authentic foods, historical exhibits, live entertainment and a kids zone.

The festival is hosted by the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East and will be held at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 26 and 27.

“The festival has been a success the last couple of years in educating the public about the Assyrian community,” said His Grace Mar Awa Royel Bishop of the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East Diocese of California. “We wanted to open this festival to the community so that all of our neighbors, irrespective of ethnicity, can experience our culture, our foods, and our history.”

Last year, the Assyrian Festival featured an exhibit that showcased the history of the Assyrian people in the Turlock and its surrounding areas along with the timeline of the history of the Assyrian Church of the East, and other cultural artifacts that educated the community about the Assyrian people.

“This year our exhibit will feature a history of the Assyrian inventions in agriculture and irrigation,” said Carmen Morad, exhibit coordinator.

The Assyrians made many technological discoveries as they were the first to use the potter’s wheel to make better pottery, they used irrigation to get water to their crops as well as creating bronze metal to make strong tools and weapons. The Walls of Babylon were once considered one of the seven ancient wonders of the world. There were two massive walls that surrounded the entire city and archeologists estimate that the walls were over 50 miles long with each wall being around 23 feet wide and 35 feet tall. The Assyrians invented the simple machine called the Archimedes Screw which would have helped raise water to the heights needed for the plants in the famous Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

A 5K run is also being held at the Fairgrounds at 9 a.m. Aug. 27, before the festival opens.

A highlight of the Assyrian Festival is the authentic foods from the Assyrian community. All the food at the Assyrian Festival will be homemade by local Assyrians, using family recipes that have been used for generations, meaning guests will have an authentic experience.

“Live music and Assyrian dance groups will be onsite all weekend for your entertainment as well as a kids zone with carnival rides,” His Grace Mar Awa Royel said.

The 2017 Assyrian Festival will feature a spectacular children’s area, which will include games and educational projects for kids. Also planned for 2017 is live entertainment that will feature local Assyrian dance groups.

For more information about the festival, visit www.cvassyrianfestival.com or find the event on social media at: facebook.com/AssyrianFestival or @assyrianfest.