Hatchet File Photo
This post was written by Hatchet reporter Margaret Kahn.
The 11th Annual Turkish Festival, today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Freedom Plaza (Pennsylvania Ave, NW between 12th and 14th Streets) is one of the most beloved D.C. cultural festivals of the year. This is a festival enjoyed by 25,000 Turks and non-Turks alike, and Volunteer Coordinator Laura Maddux of The American Turkish Association of Washington DC (ATA-DC) laid out her tips for first-timers.
What not to miss
Main stage: All throughout the day, visitors will enjoy music and dance from performance groups from Turkey and the United States. The line-up includes belly dancing, a Turkish youth jazz ensemble, Turkic Qashqai Tribe Dance, Turkish folk songs, Roman Gypsy Dance, davul- a Turkish drum- and bagpipe, and unique traditional dances from many Turkish provinces.
Food: It’s all about the noms. Simit. Doner kebap. Lahmacun. Pide. Baklava. The list goes on and on. For many travelers to Turkey, their favorite thing is often a toss-up between the rich and diverse cuisine and the loveliness of the Turkish people. Don’t tell my Turkish friends but the food pulls ahead slightly when I mouthwateringly remember the taste of kunefe, my favorite dessert – a cheesy and sweet must-sample from one of the 15 vendors at the festival.
Turkish coffee: If you missed the Turkish Coffee Truck as it circulated Washington this month, you can buy the famously strong drink for $5 at the truck, which will be stationed in place all day. If coffee isn’t your thing, fork up the $2 for a cup of çay, Turkish tea, which in my experience, many Turks imbibe in at least six times a day.
Fortune telling tent: After you drink your coffee, head over to the fortune telling tent to see what fate has in store for you. Fortune telling from the leftover grinds of Turkish coffee is a centuries-old tradition that is still maintained in most Turkish households. Among the volunteer fortunetellers will be first-year statistics Ph.D. student Didem Egemen, who came to GW from Ankara, Turkey’s capital. She is a bit nervous about reading fortunes, however, saying, “I’ve never read fortunes in English!”
Culture and art tent: There will be two tents highlighting the art, history and culture of Turkey. You can get henna’d, participate in a belly dancing workshop, and learn the traditional art of ebru, paper marbling. There also will be a traditional shadow puppet show and live cooking demonstrations, along with free samples of Turkish delight- try to grab a few of those throughout the day.
