A festival of Assyrian culture, food and entertainment in Turlock

A celebration of Assyrian culture returns for two days of festivities next weekend at the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds in Turlock.

This year’s Assyrian Festival is set for Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 27-28, presented by the Holy Apostolic Catholic Assyrian Church of the East. It will be the second such event, after a successful fledgling festival held last year, according to publicity coordinator Adrenna Alkhas.

“The turnout was wonderful and over-exceeded our expectations,” Alkhas said in an email interview. “The community really came in and supported the festival to learn more about the Assyrians.”

Fostering that greater understanding of the Assyrian culture is one of the goals of the festival. Last year, a historical exhibit marked the 100th anniversary of the Assyrian genocide. This year, the fest will bring the historical focus home with displays and information on the first Assyrian settlers in the Central Valley.

Among those was Isaac Adams, the first Assyrian settler in Turlock in the early 1900s, according to Alkhas. His son, World War II veteran Henry Adams, will be honored by Congressman Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, during opening ceremonies Saturday.

Isaac Adams and other early settlers launched what would become the largest community of Assyrians in California – about 15,000 to 17,000 people, according to information provided last year by Bishop Mar Awa Royel of the Assyrian Church of the East Diocese of California.

“What draws Assyrians to Turlock is the sense of community they feel. More than 20 percent of the Turlock population is the Assyrian community and it keeps growing with the vast number of refugees that are fleeing the horrors of Iraq and Syria,” Alkhas said. “What drew early Assyrian settlers to Turlock was agriculture and farmland and ... the climate of this part of California, which was similar to that of their homeland in Urmia, Iran and in Iraq.”

This year’s historical exhibit also will feature a video of the early settlers and their families still living in Turlock, in addition to a history of the Assyrian Church of the East.

No cultural festival would be complete without a full representation of traditional food. A menu of delectables will be offered over the two-day event, including dolma, kebabs, taboula, meat egg rolls called bourak, vegetarian and meat piroshki, shawarma and falafel. Baklava and other dessert items also will be served, along with Assyrian teas and coffee.

It will be a spread of “authentic Assyrian food homemade by local Assyrians, using family recipes that have been used for generations from local farmers,” Alkhas said.

Along with the cultural food will be cultural entertainment – live music and Assyrian dance groups.

Other highlights on Saturday include a 5K run at the fairgrounds at 9 a.m. before the festival opens; and, after the opening ceremonies, a parade at 11 a.m. from the exhibit hall to the main stage.

Both days will feature entertainment, as well as an expanded kids zone with carnival rides and games.

It all offers the Assyrian community a chance to share the culture with others in the region, something evident during last year’s festival, which drew a multiethnic presence, Alkhas said.

“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,” Bishop Royel said in a press release.

The festival is a partnership with other Assyrian Church of the East parishes: Mar Zaia of Modesto, Mar Addai of Turlock, Mar Gewargis of Ceres, Mar Narsai of San Francisco.

All join in a celebration that offers a chance to enjoy, learn and eat.

“The hope is for the community to immerse themselves in the Assyrian culture,” Alkhas said. food.”

This story was originally published August 19, 2016 at 4:30 PM with the headline "A festival of Assyrian culture, food and entertainment in Turlock."