Armenian Memorial Church to Host Annual Fair in Watertown

WATERTOWN, Mass.—The Armenian Memorial Church of Watertown will hold its Annual Fair Fri., May 20, and Sat., May 21 (rain or shine).

Several members of the Armenian Memorial Church fair committee gather in preparation for the Annual Fair to be held on Friday evening, May 20, and Saturday, May 21. They are (back row, left to right) Armen Dohanian, Scott Yerganian and Gregg Ohanian, and (front row, left to right) Vicky Tomasian and Roberta Vanderkyl.

On Friday evening, from 5 to 8 p.m., the Church serve its delicious kebab dinners, and will sell exquisite desserts. The entire fair will be open on Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Visitors will have two days to enjoy the fabulous Armenian beef, chicken, and losh (ground meat) kebab dinners, complete with sauce, rice pilaf, salad, and pita bread. The selection will also include Armenian vegetarian meals. Visitors may enjoy eating at tables under the tent or may purchase takeout orders.

The fair features an Armenian delicacies table, a sale of household merchandise at bargain prices, and a variety of vendor tables.

Members of the church—who are known for their fine cooking—have been preparing the Armenian delicacies. They recently held an all-day mante making session, producing hundreds of the petite Armenian dumpling-like treats. They will be featured on the baked goods table along with baklava, kadayif, cheoreg, koufte, eetch, cheese beoreg, and many other baked specialties.

Roberta Vanderkyl of Watertown is chairing this year’s committee, which includes Gladys Clinton of Watertown, Armen Dohanian of Belmont, Kimberly Kamborian of Watertown, Gregg Ohanian of Woburn, Caroline Sultanian of Waltham, Vicky Tomasian of Belmont, and Scott Yerganian of Boston.

While the fair is the largest fundraiser of the year, the Church sets aside 10 percent of the proceeds to benefit a worthy charity. This year’s funds will be donated to the Syrian Relief Project at the First Armenian Evangelical Church of Montreal, Canada. The Church has dedicated itself to help refugees who have entered Canada legally looking for a new life. In addition to food and clothing, members assist the refugees with finding housing and employment. This humanitarian effort helps the refugees to settle in the Montreal area and start their new lives on a strong footing.

The Armenian Memorial Church is located at 32 Bigelow Avenue in Watertown, just off Coolidge Square. From Harvard Square take the Watertown bus to Coolidge Square. Admission is free, and the public is invited.

Bring the family and enjoy the day. The Church is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call 617-923-0498.