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The best place to get good ethnic food in Richmond is at any one of 53 festivals Richmond hosts every year. Not only is the food fresh, authentic, and quite tasty; but the atmosphere just can’t be beat.
Richmond is a diverse city and we’re lucky to have åsuch a culturally conscious population. Most cities don’t care who you are or where you came from. Here we all get together to celebrate anyone’s culture. And what celebrations there are!
Throughout the years, people have come to celebrate just because and left with a deeper understanding of themselves and others. Gloria Cahen of the Irish American Society of Greater Richmond said “I don’t think people realize their heritage, they come to an event and get curious and start researching” and usually what they discover stays with them.
Why celebrate?
Annual Asian-American Celebration
What else are the celebrations all about? People! It has only been ten years since it started at local High-Schools and on May 5th the Annual Asian-American Celebration will again fill the Richmond Convention Hall with 14 thousand people all coming to have a good time, to learn, to eat, to party. Twice a year they host this event and “we encourage everyone to learn something new. […] It’s the hands-on experience that teaches children and that is why we are having so much success.” Said Rumy Mohta of the Asian American Society.
There is strength in these numbers, they know something, but what? There’s no doubt it’s about the food. How often do you see an authentic Singaporean restaurant? Not in town, but as luck would have it there are too many to count at the festival and twice a year you can get authentic, fresh, savory down-home cooking from a down home that’s half a world away. The recipes aren’t for sale but the smell that beckons you through the door leads you to every taste you could imagine from the traditional to the adventurous. That’s not all, admission is free.
The food can’t be beat and the atmosphere is one where you can spend an entire day and not realize it. From scavenger hunt prizes for children to basket-ball and lantern-building, to Kite-making and an Iron-Chef Competition; the Asian-American Celebration is set on promoting a better understanding of different cultures and giving people a reason to have a good time. “We’re not affiliated with any religion or political, we just want to teach people about other cultures and if one child learns one thing then the whole day was a success.” Said Mohta.
Where does the money go?
Celtic Fest
But why stop there. Grab a beer, some Haggis and a good friend and come watch large men throwing stuff. When it comes to sports – nothing beats the Highland Games. “You have to have won a competition to get into the national championships which are hosted every year at the National Celtic Festival.” Said Jay Lugar, director of marketing for the State Fair of Virginia. “It’s a non-profit thing so the proceeds go towards scholarships, school tours, etc.” Seeing 15 to 20 thousand people each year, the Celtic fest has grown beyond its limits and will be moving to the State Fair’s new larger fairgrounds area in the near future.
So what can you find at the festival? There are over sixty vendors of all sorts of goods not including the authentic foods. You can get clothing, kilts, jewelry, and other unique memorabilia.
There are also lots of things to do. From activities for the kids to a whisky tasting seminar – where you can learn how and why different whiskies taste the way they do. Next October 27th and 28th you can come together with other festival goers and learn about clans, listen to traditional, folk and even rock music and enjoy authentic foods you can only get once a year.
Oh The Atmosphere!
Oktoberfest
It’s one of those festivals you seldom hear about but everybody knows somebody who’s going. The annual Oktoberfest is the place to go to have a good time. Held mid to late October every year at The Richmond Convention Center, it’s rare you’ll se them advertise.
“It seems they like to keep out the people who might think it’s all about the drinking.” Said one anonymous patron at the last event. There’s authentic German hats and clothing, to steins, mugs, pins, stuffed toys, and other crafts for sale, a place to park the kids and let them do some arts and crafts, and then there’s Beer.
Food, Music, Wine and Beer draw quite a decent crowd. The whole place fills with music and with it, the dancing begins. Traditional German music is played by bands brought in from all over the world and all night the Waltz and the Polka are heard; broken only by the intermittent “Gemuetlichkeit” (Cheers!) song, the Chicken Dance and the German national anthem.
No one frowned, even the faces in the endless line for potato pancakes were all smiles. The food is German, the dress is predominantly German and the people German or not were all having a good time socializing, drinking and dancing. A celebration of the harvest, Oktoberfest is known for its beer, its music and its authentic good time.
The Fruit of my Labors!
Food in the Greek Festival
“The thing you never want to miss is the authentic food.” Said Lugar. “It’s the kind of stuff you can’t go down to the corner wherever and just pick up normally.” They don’t count the food by the pound, “It comes in by truck-load and takes months to prepare.” Said Phyllis Knuth of the Greek Orthodox Church. Every year 50 to 75 thousand people are served, there isn’t a charge to get in and they even set up a drive-through to alleviate parking and line issues.
Hundreds of volunteers put in four days to earn money for a good cause. Last year they gave portions of the proceeds to four local charities to help children, hospitals and those with Autism. “You go listen to some music, get some Grecian food and come home with a souvenir.” said Knuth. But don’t miss the moussaka and the souvlaki at the next Greek Festival which – provided renovations conclude in time – will be again in June.
Richmond is a diverse city and we’re lucky to have åsuch a culturally conscious population. Most cities don’t care who you are or where you came from. Here we all get together to celebrate anyone’s culture. And what celebrations there are!
Throughout the years, people have come to celebrate just because and left with a deeper understanding of themselves and others. Gloria Cahen of the Irish American Society of Greater Richmond said “I don’t think people realize their heritage, they come to an event and get curious and start researching” and usually what they discover stays with them.
Why celebrate?
Annual Asian-American Celebration
What else are the celebrations all about? People! It has only been ten years since it started at local High-Schools and on May 5th the Annual Asian-American Celebration will again fill the Richmond Convention Hall with 14 thousand people all coming to have a good time, to learn, to eat, to party. Twice a year they host this event and “we encourage everyone to learn something new. […] It’s the hands-on experience that teaches children and that is why we are having so much success.” Said Rumy Mohta of the Asian American Society.
There is strength in these numbers, they know something, but what? There’s no doubt it’s about the food. How often do you see an authentic Singaporean restaurant? Not in town, but as luck would have it there are too many to count at the festival and twice a year you can get authentic, fresh, savory down-home cooking from a down home that’s half a world away. The recipes aren’t for sale but the smell that beckons you through the door leads you to every taste you could imagine from the traditional to the adventurous. That’s not all, admission is free.
The food can’t be beat and the atmosphere is one where you can spend an entire day and not realize it. From scavenger hunt prizes for children to basket-ball and lantern-building, to Kite-making and an Iron-Chef Competition; the Asian-American Celebration is set on promoting a better understanding of different cultures and giving people a reason to have a good time. “We’re not affiliated with any religion or political, we just want to teach people about other cultures and if one child learns one thing then the whole day was a success.” Said Mohta.
Where does the money go?
Celtic Fest
But why stop there. Grab a beer, some Haggis and a good friend and come watch large men throwing stuff. When it comes to sports – nothing beats the Highland Games. “You have to have won a competition to get into the national championships which are hosted every year at the National Celtic Festival.” Said Jay Lugar, director of marketing for the State Fair of Virginia. “It’s a non-profit thing so the proceeds go towards scholarships, school tours, etc.” Seeing 15 to 20 thousand people each year, the Celtic fest has grown beyond its limits and will be moving to the State Fair’s new larger fairgrounds area in the near future.
So what can you find at the festival? There are over sixty vendors of all sorts of goods not including the authentic foods. You can get clothing, kilts, jewelry, and other unique memorabilia.
There are also lots of things to do. From activities for the kids to a whisky tasting seminar – where you can learn how and why different whiskies taste the way they do. Next October 27th and 28th you can come together with other festival goers and learn about clans, listen to traditional, folk and even rock music and enjoy authentic foods you can only get once a year.
Oh The Atmosphere!
Oktoberfest
It’s one of those festivals you seldom hear about but everybody knows somebody who’s going. The annual Oktoberfest is the place to go to have a good time. Held mid to late October every year at The Richmond Convention Center, it’s rare you’ll se them advertise.
“It seems they like to keep out the people who might think it’s all about the drinking.” Said one anonymous patron at the last event. There’s authentic German hats and clothing, to steins, mugs, pins, stuffed toys, and other crafts for sale, a place to park the kids and let them do some arts and crafts, and then there’s Beer.
Food, Music, Wine and Beer draw quite a decent crowd. The whole place fills with music and with it, the dancing begins. Traditional German music is played by bands brought in from all over the world and all night the Waltz and the Polka are heard; broken only by the intermittent “Gemuetlichkeit” (Cheers!) song, the Chicken Dance and the German national anthem.
No one frowned, even the faces in the endless line for potato pancakes were all smiles. The food is German, the dress is predominantly German and the people German or not were all having a good time socializing, drinking and dancing. A celebration of the harvest, Oktoberfest is known for its beer, its music and its authentic good time.
The Fruit of my Labors!
Food in the Greek Festival
“The thing you never want to miss is the authentic food.” Said Lugar. “It’s the kind of stuff you can’t go down to the corner wherever and just pick up normally.” They don’t count the food by the pound, “It comes in by truck-load and takes months to prepare.” Said Phyllis Knuth of the Greek Orthodox Church. Every year 50 to 75 thousand people are served, there isn’t a charge to get in and they even set up a drive-through to alleviate parking and line issues.
Hundreds of volunteers put in four days to earn money for a good cause. Last year they gave portions of the proceeds to four local charities to help children, hospitals and those with Autism. “You go listen to some music, get some Grecian food and come home with a souvenir.” said Knuth. But don’t miss the moussaka and the souvlaki at the next Greek Festival which – provided renovations conclude in time – will be again in June.
posted by Shannon Hollender @ 1:34 PM
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