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player ready...This weekend St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church will, once again, open its doors for a celebration of all things Coptic Orthodox through the Taste of Egypt Festival.
Copts are the largest Christian sect in Egypt, and the church, founded by St. Mark, dates to the first century A.D. and the event is an offering of history, culture, live music, religious belief, camels and, of course, food. Popular dishes include kofta, stuffed grape leaves and falafel or sweet treats including baklava and cookies.
Besides food, the Taste — two decades old this year — offers, art, church tours, camel rides and more family-friendly events in a bid to celebrate decades of local Coptic traditions as well as centuries of church history to both first-time visitors and longtime believers.
St. Mark Coptic Church, organized in 1969, is the oldest Coptic Church in Chicagoland, though the current building itself wasn’t built until the 1980s — prior to that the church rented various spaces for service. While it’s no longer the only such church, the celebration brings together membership of all Coptic congregations as a way to celebrate the early local pioneers of the faith. It’s a homecoming, of sorts.
Janice Gerges, St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church member and spokesperson for marketing, said the weekend is “a fun opportunity to open our doors to our community, meet and greet with friends new and old from all over Chicagoland.”
Thousands turn out over the weekend because, Gerges said, mostly it’s an opportunity to have fun and have some tasty food — and everyone is invited. Even for non-Copts, food and fun are an attractive proposition and there’s always something to do.
“We work hard each year to coordinate exciting attractions and activities for all ages,” Gerges said. “I would say the biggest attraction is our camel ride. We have a beautiful backdrop of the Egyptian pyramids that we use for photos during the ride. The camel stops in front of the backdrop and riders turn to our cameraman for a fun photo opportunity. How many people can say they rode a camel in the suburbs of Chicago?”
She said the weekend is the closest thing to visiting Egypt without a plane ticket.
“There is so much for our visitors to do — expect to be transported to Egypt,” she said. “Guests can enjoy delicious Egyptian food and drinks, listen to live music as well as purchase jewelry, souvenirs and personalized hieroglyphics.”
Well, it’s Egypt combined with the flair of a festival.
“This is definitely a fun family event, so bring the little ones to enjoy the petting zoo, inflatables, games, crafts and other activities,” said Gerges.
The two-day event kicks off at 11 a.m. Saturday and runs through 7 p.m. On Sunday, the Taste opens at noon and wraps up at 5 p.m. St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church is located at 15 W. 455 79th St. in Burr Ridge. While there is no fee to enter the event, the rides, food and crafts are sold at various prices, with the funds going toward the church’s expenses as well as its charitable works.
Jesse Wright is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.