History of the Armenian Food Festival
A tradition since 1947, the 76th Sacramento Armenian Food Festival will be held
- At St. James Armenian Church, 8071 Old Auburn Road, Citrus Heights, CA 95610
- On October 14, 2023, between 11:00 am – 8:00 pm
- Free Admission
Armenians (Hyes) have lived in the Sacramento area since 1919 when the first residents, survivors of the 1915 Armenian Genocide, arrived. Through years, they preserved and passed on their customs and traditions, welcomed new members and grew as a community. Food and cuisine, passed on through generations has always been a staple in the Armenian family and community. In 1948, a group of Armenian Ladies formed a Society and undertook a cooking session that produced delicious and flavorful traditional dishes and decadent deserts. They sold those dishes to the local community in Sacramento to raise funds for establishing a church. That event in 1948 was the very first Sacramento Armenian Food Festival. The funds raised from the subsequent Food Festivals helped in establishing the Armenian Church in Sacramento and the consecration of St. James Armenian Apostolic Church of Sacramento in 1953.
Armenians have strived to contribute to the local community by sharing their rich traditions, music and delicious cuisine. From generation to generation, Armenian women have passed on their secret heirloom recipes.
Throughout the decades, the Sacramento Armenian Apostolic Church has played a vital role in bonding Armenians together both spiritually, and through fun activities and events such as picnics, Armenian school children performances and more.
Except for the two years due to COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Armenian Food Festival has been the cornerstone of unity for Sacramento Armenian community for the past 76 years!
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