BIRMINGHAM, Mich.—The metro Detroit Armenia Fest Committee, in collaboration with the Detroit Knights of Vartan, is proud to announce that they will be hosting the Annual Armenia Fest on Saturday, July 20, 2024 from 5-10 p.m. at the Royal Oak Farmers Market located at 316 E. 11 Mile Road in Royal Oak, Michigan. This year, the Fest honors Manoogian Manor, a nonprofit home for the Armenian aged and member of the Livonia Business Hall of Fame celebrating its 75th anniversary.
A year in the planning, the festival will begin with the American and Armenian anthems presented by Deacon Rubik Mailian followed by a ribbon cutting ceremony and introduction of special guests at 6 p.m. Admission is free, and guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and to prepare to travel to Armenia for an evening! Questions regarding the festival can be directed to armeniafestmi@gmail.com.
The first ethnic festival ever held in the city of Royal Oak will again feature a rich collage of Armenian culture. The Royal Oak Farmers Market will transform into a Middle Eastern bazaar with booths exhibiting Armenian crafts, artwork, souvenirs, music, cookbooks and jewelry.
Silent auction items donated by generous supporters will be on view with winning bidders announced the evening of the Fest. Major donors of this year’s Fest to date include the Hagopian World of Rugs, Mardigian Foundation, Robert Ajemian Foundation, Mark Artinian for Crispelli’s Bakery and Pizzeria, Herman Hintiryan Family and Helen Parnagian Corrigan.
Authentic Armenian food including tasty kebabs, stuffed grape leaves, lamajun (Armenian pizza), pastries and breads will be available for purchase. A beer and wine garden including American and Armenian selections will be featured this year. In addition, the 2024 Great Choreg (Armenian Bread) Bake Off contest will take place at the Fest, which will honor the best choreg determined by a panel of judges.
Live traditional and contemporary Armenian music will be performed during the evening by the Armenia Fest All-Stars under the skillful direction of popular Armenian vocalist, oudist and percussionist Vaughn Masropian. The dynamic rhythm of the All-Stars’ performances will be sure to inspire all attending to enjoy participating in line dancing during the Fest.
Another highlight of the evening will be a performance by the Hamazkayin Arax Dance Troupe composed of local Armenian youth trained in the art of Armenian folk dance. The enthusiastic Troupe’s stunning costumes and artistically choreographed dance routines have been a crowd favorite since the inception of the festival.
The Armenian community of metro Detroit numbers well over 70,000 within the tri-county regions of Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties. The Armenia Fest Committee actively sponsors events and programs that focus on Armenian culture, faith and history. Each year, proceeds from the festival are donated to humanitarian Armenian causes.
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