Egyptian Festival in Richmond is 'a great vibe' with 'food, shows and fun,' organizer says

RICHMOND, Va. -- The Egyptian Festival hosted by Archangel Michael and St. Anthony Coptic Orthodox Church in Richmond is this weekend.

The event is Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. at the church at 6650 Elkhardt Road on the Southside.

Michael Azab, one of the organizers, said the festival is "all about food, shows and fun."

"We ant to invite everybody to come over here and learn about the Egyptian culture, taste the food, meet the people," Azab sad. "It's a great vibe. You're going to love it.

FULL INTERVIEW: These kids talking about everything you can do at the Egyptian Festival is everything

The proceeds benefit the church, which needs a new roof, Azab said.

"We're trying to do a fundraiser for the church. And we thought, why don't we do something and introduce our culture, Egyptian culture, to the public," Azab recalled. "We find a common ground where people can actually meet and learn. So it's an educational experience, a learning experience about monuments, culture, food, you name it. It's all the five senses."

The event is one of several Egyptian festivals around the Richmond metro, but Azab said his church's is the best because of the foods, shows and tours of the church.

"Try it while it's here because it only comes once a year," Azab said. "We perform a song that was actually sung about 5,000 years ago. And we do hymns in a Coptic language — it's an old Egyptian language. And also some dancing in Arabic language."

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