Yes indeedy! Ethnic Enrichment Festival is upon us! I spent Tuesday learning to make Felafel. Yes, I had a blast. This is a team of people I’ve worked with for some time. My friend Deb for six years has managed to put up with me helping in the kitchen at the Jewish Community Center. Today was Hummus day, which is how I originally got involved. I wanted to learn to make hummus. What is mildly amusing about this is several times I am probably the worst cook in the kitchen. Now, don’t get me wrong, no one has ever died from eating anything I’ve made. And somethings I make very, very beautifully. But when I’m sharing the kitchen with people like Deb, Nissim and Leah the reason I’m good is I do exactly as they tell me, all the time. I hope none of them just fell out of their chair laughing. OH I DO TOO, now stop it! You’re going to hurt yourselves if you keep it up.

After Deb and I finished up in the kitchen we headed out the park to scope out our booth for food and our half booth for crafts. Guess who gets to decorate that one? Yepper! I do have a few ideas. I wish I had a stuffed parrot! While swilling sweet tea great plans came together, and later today I get to implement them.

So, come on out and share in the adventure of traveling the world via Swope Park. This is the 35th Anniversary of the Ethnic Enrichment Festival, when you come through the round about on Meyer Blvd. and enter the park you will see the tents on your left, parking is in the field. You’ll see the cars.

The parade of Flags is at 1600, 4 PM on Saturday. I know the people carrying the Israeli Flag very well.

So, what to eat? Well, felafel is a little round ball, deep fried. This stuff is fabulous. I couldn’t get enough of it in Israel. Ours is wonderful, which is what happens when you have people like we do in the kitchen making it. They know what it’s suppose to be and how to get it there. If you like kind of spicy sausage you will like this. There is no meat in it, so vegetarians can enjoy it as well. Hummus is a paste I suppose you could say. It is made from chickpeas and tahini, with vegetables and spices blended in. I am convinced well made hummus is a gift from G-d. I really like hummus, and ours is that good. We will also have tahini sauce to put on top of the felafel and the plates are always very pretty. Ok, I might have something to do with that. We have dill pickles on a stick, GIANT macaroons that may sold out by Saturday, they have been before. Actually, they’ve been sold out by Friday night before.

This year for the first time we will have Isracinno. This project has been in the works for a year. If you can get Henry to stop dancing or playing music you can ask him. We even had coffee taste offs to get it just right. Coffee taste offs are a total blast. Ours will be like no one else’s, and ours will be better.

 באח Betach!

Tikvah will take the stage at 1630, 4:30 on Sunday and they end with community dancing. Which means wear your dancin’ shoes! Anyone can join in the last dance! I’ve been known to in the past, not well, but they put up with me anyway. And how I love them for it. All of them. Atem Havareem sheli. They are my friends.

Come on out to Ethnic Festival, they’ll become your friends too!