Egyptian Festival of San Jose in Campbell

The 8th Annual Egyptian Festival of San José and Silicon Valley is here!  Tickets available at the door. As always, the festival is hosted by St. George and St. Joseph Coptic Orthodox Church, the only Egyptian Christian church in the South Bay, and the only church featuring Coptic architecture in Northern California.

Festival hours:

• Friday, September 16 at 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Saturday, September 17 at 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
• Sunday, September 18 at 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Food
Our Egyptian Kitchen features traditional specialties such as kofta and chicken kabobs. The Egyptian Kitchen also features homemade items that are hard to find in restaurants, like stuffed grape leaves with rice and meat, as well as macarona bechamel, a decadent pasta plate that combines French, Greek, and Egyptian influences. This year we are bringing you kibdah iskandarani (beef liver sandwiches), a real treat for your taste buds!

Did you know that Coptic (Egyptian) Christians are vegan (or pescavegan) more than half the year? We fast from most animal products about 210 days out of 365, and when we’re siyam (fasting), we love falafel sandwiches, koshari, and ful mudammas, a working man’s dish made from mashed fava beans that is often eaten for breakfast and lunch in Cairo.

After dinner, stop by the cafe to enjoy sweet desserts. There’s something for everyone: baklava, basboosa, konafa, and loukoumades. Try our delicious roz bi laban (rice pudding) guaranteed to put a smile on your face! And not to forget our wonderful selection of hot and cold drinks: karkadai (hibiscus tea), tamarind, mango and guava juice, tea with mint and Turkish coffee.

Entertainment
There’s something for everyone at the 2016 Egyptian Festival. Events and activities are to be announced, so stay tuned.

Kids Zone

Your kids will love our Egyptian-themed carnival games and prizes. We have some fun games for toddlers (ages 2 to 4), like “Treasure of the Nile,” “Pick a Croc,” as well asgames for kids of all ages, like “King Tut Bean Bag Toss.”

Bazaar
Walking through our bazaar (or “souk” in Arabic) is like shopping in the streets of Cairo for a day. The highlights might be our traditional Egyptian clothing, souvenirs from the best sites in Egypt, and custom made t-shirts. Or they might be our expansive set of Coptic (Egyptian Christian) goods, like crosses, icons, headscarves, and books.

Education
Come see our beautiful new sanctuary–the only church in Northern California featuring Coptic architecture–and stay for a presentation on The Five Senses in the Coptic Church, a sensory exploration of the rites and rituals of our church. You can also attend an Icon Writing or Hymnology class, as well as watch a reel about life in Egypt while enjoying your lunch or dinner.

Raffle Prizes
More details to follow: Fancy driving a new car? Make sure to get a raffle ticket for a chance to win a 2016 VW Jetta!