2016 UPC Ethnic Food Fair co-chair Vera Heitink serves an Indonesian dish she prepared at a previous UPC Ethnic Food Fair. The 16th fair will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. on Saturday, September 17 at United Presbyterian Church, 1701 E. 2nd Street in Bloomington.
After a one year absence, the congregation of United Presbyterian Church has announced the return of the UPC Ethnic Food Fair on Saturday, September 17, 2016 from 5 to 7 p.m. The event will be indoors and outdoors serving a wide variety of home-made ethnic food.
The Ethnic Food Fair was founded in 2000 by Travis and Elfrida Bauer and has been held annually each year since except in 2015. The Bauer’s purpose was to illustrate the congregation’s diversity while expanding upon fellowship opportunities. The UPC Ethnic Food Fair is a vision of the congregation. It’s an opportunity for friends and members of UPC to prepare and share food from their native countries including various regions of North America. Those attending the UPC Ethnic Food Fair can enjoy the various tastes from home with the knowledge that the dishes were lovingly made by their very own Monroe County friends, relatives and neighbors.
Rula Hanania and Aline Hamati Haddad serve Middle Eastern cuisine they personally prepared at a past UPC Ethnic Food Fair. The event returns to United Presbyterian Church after a one year absence on Saturday, September 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. Homemade dishes from over 20 nations will be served.
The 2016 UPC Ethnic Food Fair co-chairs are Vera Heitink and Allen Pease. More than 20 members of the congregation are volunteering to staff the event and prepare the many ethnic dishes. Cuisine from five continents will be served including dishes from Colombia, Germany, Holland, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Korea, South Africa and the United States. Congregants who prepare the dishes will also serve, making it possible for attendees to ask questions about the ethnic dishes. Adding to the interest, some of the foods will be grilled outside for fairgoers to see. Appetizers, entrees, side dishes and desserts will be served indoors. A beverage station along with table and chair dining will be set up on the parking lot creating a sidewalk café atmosphere. Dishes from more than 20 nations have been featured in the past as well as many regional dishes from the United States.
Tickets are on sale during church office hours: Monday – Tuesday – Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Thursday and Friday, 9 to 11 a.m. Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for college students and children six and older. Children five and under are free. Proceeds from the event benefit the programs, missions and activities of United Presbyterian Church.