HAVERHILL — The congregation gathered once again Saturday for the annual Fall Bazaar at Holy Archangels Armenian Church, St. Michael & St. Gabriel at 1280 Boston Road.
Folks feasted on several courses of the culture’s cuisine with proceeds benefiting the church. All of the weekend visitors grabbed a plate and found a seat in Ermonian Hall.
The room was filled with beloved traditions, community spirits, cultural tunes, and the smell of homemade pastries.
The Rev. Fr. Vart Gyozalyan sat among the many visitors, chatting with the congregation as many dove into their lunch or dinner.
There were chicken and losh kebabs, kheyma dinners, and vegetarian options served up to the churchgoers. Pastries included spinach and cheese boereg, paklava,
Armenian string cheese, and plenty of other cultural delicacies.
A week earlier, the Women’s Guild of Holy Archangels Armenian Church strapped on their aprons and dedicated several days to preparing the meals ahead of Saturday’s event.
Volunteers such as Andrea Korbey, Azadouhi Seferian,and Vania Maridrossian-Kim assembled tray after tray of cheese and spinach pies.
A Hayastan table, which is the native name for the country of Armenia, was set up with Anoush Honey products – a raw, all-natural honey seller that is produced in Carlisle, Massachusetts.
The small business is owned and operated by an Armenian family who honor their heritage through their work, with “Anoush” meaning “sweet” in Armenian.
Guests also browsed gift baskets and raffles, grabbing tickets to win prizes, and shoppedat various booths and tables with vendors selling products such as Armenian cookbooks.
A dollar from every dinner sold was donated to the Armenian Clergy Fund, supporting priests who serve border-town villages in Armenia.