A new festival this fall, formed by a partnership among three local organizations, will celebrate Windsor’s rich cultural diversity and its sense of unity, according to its organizers.
“This is really all about how food brings people together,” Jay Katz, executive director of the Windsor Jewish Community Centre said of Hummus Festival 2018. “We want to showcase the variety of food that’s here, but we also wanted to celebrate our uniquely collegial community, which makes us one of the most desirable places to live and one of Canada’s best-kept secrets. And besides, who doesn’t love hummus?”
Hummus Festival will take place from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 23, at Catholic Central High School.
The event, organized by the Windsor Jewish Community Centre, the Windsor Islamic Association and the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, will bring together local restaurants to showcase their versions of the traditional Middle Eastern staple, as well as other hummus-inspired dishes.
“Our school seemed like the most logical place to host the event,” said Danielle Desjardins-Koloff, principal at Catholic Central High School, 441 Tecumseh Road East in Windsor. “Our student body is made up of kids from more than 70 different countries, so we celebrate cultural diversity every single day.”
Mirza Baig, president of the Windsor Islamic Association, said, “Besides being an opportunity for local residents to enjoy some excellent cuisine, this event will provide people with the chance to meet and interact with those they might not get to otherwise.
“Socializing over food is a wonderful way to break down barriers and learn about the similarities that unite us as people who share this community.”
Besides eating excellent local food, those who attend Hummus Fest will also get to enjoy some great entertainment, including the Light of East Ensemble, an Ontario group whose repertoire encompasses traditional, folk, Classical Arabic, Sephardic, Greek Rembetika and 20th-century urban music from such regions as Armenia, Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and Israel.
Tickets are $5. For more information, visit info@jewishwindsor.org.