Armenian Fest Returns to Milwaukee

On July 18, over one thousand visitors crowded onto the grounds of St. John the Baptist Armenian Church in suburban Greenfield for the return of Milwaukee Armenian Fest. The annual festival was cancelled last year from COVID-19 and was staged differently than usual this year with pandemic caution still in mind. Visitors ordered their food inside the church’s cultural hall but gathered to eat in a big tent outdoors.

The annual event is rooted in the summer picnics hosted for many years by St. John for its members, friends and their families. In the 1990s the church picnic was rebranded as Armenian Fest, the name change inspired by the many larger ethnic festivals such as Irish Fest and German Fest that became signatures of Milwaukee during the summer months. As Armenian Fest, the festival attracted a growing audience of non-Armenians with offerings that included food from home recipes, live bands, dance performances, a culture booth and church tours.

Attendance at this year’s Armenian Fest benefitted from beautiful weather and the desire of people to get outdoors and resume normal life after a year of confinement. But it also benefitted from intelligent marketing, alerting ethnic Armenians in the surrounding area while also reaching a large non-Armenian audience through social networking and targeted coverage in local magazines and websites. For Armenians, the festival remained an opportunity to see old friends. For non-Armenians, it has become an opportunity to explore new food and experience a little-known culture.

The menu at the 2021 Milwaukee Armenian Fest included luleh kebab, chicken and beef shish-kabob and vegetarian options. Traditional music was provided by Chicago’s Hye Vibes and contemporary Armenian sounds by Racine, Wisconsin’s STEPAN  (Steve Fronjian). Chicago’s Hamazkayin Sardarabad Dance Ensemble gave two sets of performances, but in between, many attendees danced on the parking lot to the music.

The cultural booth did a brisk business in Armenian preserves, wines, brandy and craft items in an effort to promote agriculture and handicrafts in the homeland.

Milwaukee Armenian Fest is held on the 3^rd Sunday in July of each year.