Laval News, Canada
July 10 2008

Traditional music and food draws thousands to Armenian Festival

Published July 10, 2008
By Silvet Ali¢ TLN

This past weekend, the Armenian Festival took place at the site of
Centre 2000 on Saint-Martin Boulevard, from July 4-6, traditional
music and food were offered to the public and combined with the
pleasant weather, drew over 5000 people. Organizer Sona Lakhoyan was
very pleased with the turnout. "We are very happy this event can take
place year after year and be a success. It brings our community
together, the children get to engage in their culture and we all get
to enjoy the summer," said Lakhoyan, vice-president of the National
Armenian Committee of Quebec.

Celebrating culture
The event was organized by the Sourp Kevork Church in Laval des
Rapides, as part of the Laval’s Canada Day festivities. "We worked
with the Greek community this year. Last week they had their festival
on the same site, so we shared the costs. The City of Laval was very
accommodating as well. Multiculturalism is a part of Canada and it is
important to celebrate the different cultures," said Lakhoyan.
The festival highlighted many known Armenian singers, including Sahag
Sislian, Adiss and Ararat Amadyan.The festival also welcomed acts from
all over the world, including the Armenian group from Los Angeles, Hoy
Lari, to entertain the children. Janet Yetenekian and Paolo Kassabian
performed children’s songs in Armenian both Saturday and Sunday. "We
were really happy to be invited. The crowd here is really friendly and
warm," said Kassabian.

Annual tradition
Over-sized inflatable balloons and many games were available for the
children. "The last three years, the weather was not good during the
festival but this year, we are having amazing weather. The children
got to play on all the balloons, everyone came out, and it’s been
really fun," said Lakhoyan at the closing night of the festival on
Sunday.
About 20 kiosks were set up to sell a variety of traditional foods,
drinks and services and over 50 volunteers helped out in the three-day
event. "We have a lot of dedicated people helping from the Church who
wanted to be involved in this event. It’s a great deal of work to
organize and takes us months," said volunteer Baydsar Aredikian. The
money raised will go towards Sourp Kevork Church and towards helping
the needy. "Our community is very close in Laval. Events that bring us
together are important to keep us strong, and for the children, it’s a
chance to experience their culture in a fun environment," said
Lakhoyan. The Armenian Festival is set to return for another year next
summer.

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From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress