The 2012 Arab International Festival will be held on June 15-17. Information about the festival will be available in April 2012. Please send inquiries to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
The 16th Arab International Festival attracted more than 325,000 visitors June 17-19, making it a record crowd in the history of the 16-year-old festival. Families from the United States and Canada packed Warren Avenue between Schaefer Road and Wyoming Street in Dearborn on Father's Day weekend to celebrate the community's Arab heritage.
"We're very happy with the success of the festival. The large turnout shows the determination of the Chamber to celebrate our heritage and the unshakable will of the community to support the Chamber, and we are very proud of our accomplishment," said American Arab Chamber Chairman Ahmad Chebbani. The American Arab Chamber of Commerce was the organizer of the festival.
This year's festival offered a great fun Father's Day weekend, celebrating the Middle Eastern culture and the rich diversity of our community.
"We couldn't be more proud," said American Arab Chamber Executive Director Fay Beydoun.
Beydoun said the festival could have not be done without the support of our sponsors, especially Ford Motor Company, the contribution of the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, the generosity of Sheriff Benny Napoleon, the help of volunteers from Impact International and ACCESS and the support of the business community along Warren Avenue and the community at large.
The three-day festival is a culture celebration that included delicious Middle Eastern food and flavors from around the world. Starting around 11 a.m., the smell of spicy falafel, sauteed onions and beef and chicken Shawarma wafted in the air along Warren Avenue in Dearborn.
At the Children Tent, European and Middle Eastern Dance dazzled kids of all ages while many other young visitors got their faces painted or watched clowns and puppeteers perform.
Local and international artists sang Arabic and English songs, sending sweet melodies for several blocks and transforming the festival into a large party, where visitors, young and old, broke into traditional Arabic dance in circles. Local youth participated in the 2011 Arab Idol and food-eating contests on main stage, adding to the unique activities the festival brings every year.
At the artisian tent, vendors offered unique arts and crafts from around the world while sponsors and supporters of the festival provided enticing presentations on their products and services.
To the east, carnival rides spun happy children in circles; Ferris Wheel rolled in the air, and various rides and games entertained guests of all ages.
We extend our gratitude to all of our sponsors and supporters, media, the community and everyone who helped make the largest Arab-American street festival successful.
We look forward to working with all of you next summer.
