Thanks to Milwaukee’s abundance of diverse ethnic festivals, we can try authentic cuisines of the world without having to leave Milwaukee County. Armenian Fest—which takes place on Sunday, July 21, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., on the grounds of St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church (7825 W. Layton Ave.)—features scratch-made Armenian food crafted from family recipes.
Armenia is among the world’s longest surviving civilizations. The boundaries of the Republic of Armenia have always shifted, and at one time, the Kingdom of Armenia stretched from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. Today, the Armenian republic is a sliver of what it was 2,000 years ago but includes important historical sites such as the ancient royal capital, Yerevan, and spiritual center, Etchmiadzin, within its borders.
The first Armenians arrived in South Milwaukee during the 1890s, fleeing persecution in the Ottoman Empire. The greatest number of Armenians arrived right after World War I and found employment in Milwaukee area factories, including Bucyrus Erie (today Caterpillar, Inc.) and the former Allis Chalmers in West Allis. In recent years, Armenians have arrived in Milwaukee from Lebanon, Iraq and Turkmenistan. Since the 1930s, the local Armenian community gathered for annual summer picnics with traditional Mediterranean dishes made from old family recipes; this eventually grew into Armenian Fest.
“Armenian Fest attracts members of the parish and their families, as well as those who are historically Armenian and want to visit the community and share in their heritage. Then we get people from all over Milwaukee who just love church festivals in general,” says Russell Kashian, chairperson for St. John. “It’s an extremely pleasant, well-organized family festival that takes place outdoors on our grounds and inside our cultural hall.”
He notes that Armenian cuisine is similar in some respects to the cooking of Greece and other Eastern Mediterranean nations, but Armenians put their own unique stamp on it. “The bouregs (a snack with multiple layers of phyllo dough around mild brick cheese) we make are little different than the bouregs the Greeks or Serbians make,” he says.
Jan Avakian-Kopatich is one of about 15 volunteers who prepare all the food for Armenian Fest. “My grandmother made all of these foods, and we continue to make them because they’re so good,” she says.
A favorite with festival attendees is the shish-kebab dinner with marinated beef or chicken served over rice pilaf with salad and pita bread. Sarma, another favorite, consists of grape leaves stuffed with a lemony filling of rice, tomato paste and seasonings. Volunteers hand-pick the grape leaves, which are in season during late June and early July. “After they’re picked and washed, they’re bundled into 20 leaves per bundle, rolled up, tied with a string and blanched in water so they’re edible,” she explains. “Then we freeze them and have a sarma-rolling day.”
Lahmajoun, nicknamed “Armenian pizza,” is dough topped with ground beef, onion, green pepper, parsley and tomato and then baked. Desserts include pastries like baklava and knafeh—a sweet cheese pastry made with shredded phyllo dough and ricotta cheese. Beverages available include coffee, soda and Armenian wine and beer.
Armenian Fest features traditional Armenian music by Wisconsin-based Mideast Beat, a performance by the Hamazkayin Sardarabad Dance Ensemble of Chicago, church tours, artifacts and a cultural book available for purchase.
St. John the Baptist Armenian Orthodox Church is located at 7825 W. Layton Ave. in Greenfield. Admission to the festival is free. For more information, visit stjohnarmenianchurch.org.
