Church carnival brings a Mediterrean flair to Fort Langley

The kids may want to go for the monster foam party and henna art while the parents may want to go for the Mediterranean treats and Egyptian bazaar.

The St. George Coptic Orthodox Church Summer Carnival is on Saturday, Sept. 2, with attractions for all ages.

“It was planned for the church congregation. However, this time we decided to expand the invitation to include other communities to get them to know more about our culture and community,” explained Souzy Khalil, with St. George’s church.

She added that many people may not know much about Egyptian or Coptic culture, so the carnival is a great introduction.

“The bazaar will offer a great opportunity to show and present to the community some items to give them a better taste of our Egyptian and Coptic culture,” she said.

There will be lots of items available for purchase such as papyrus, Coptic icons and statues, Egyptian jewelry, and pharaoh’s artifacts.

Handmade products will also be available such as crocheting, scarves, jewelry, and more.

People can get henna art on their hands. The designs last on the skin for a few days.

In addition, there will be a section for kids’ items such as pinatas, toys, and accessories, Khalil added. A unique event will be the monster foam party.

There’s also a garage sale.

And of course, there will be food.

“Lots of Mediterranean food options will be offered, in addition to the most famous Turkish coffee,” she said.

The event takes place from 1 to 6 p.m. at the Fort Langley Community Church, 8870 Glover Rd., which has ample parking. St. George’s has been using the Fort church, other area churches, schools, and community centres for services and meetings since its building in Whalley burned down about two years ago.

“Thankfully, no one was hurt, but the community was deeply wounded,” she said. “We lost many valuable and precious goods, items, and relics in the blaze. Perhaps most significantly, we lost our home – the church that housed us for so many years, and in which many of our members grew up. The church is a home like no other to most of our community members.”

• READ MORE: Surrey church congregation heartbroken by devastating fire

• READ MORE: Fire destroys church which was site of arson attempt a week prior

St. George’s started more than 40 years ago. Learn more at www.stgeorge.ca.

When the congregation still had its church, there were summer, Christmas and Easter carnivals, and they wanted to restart the tradition. The congregation is in the process of setting up a new church in the area of 188th Street and 88th Avenue, having purchased land recently. They hope to begin construction in late 2024. They can resume celebrations such as the carnivals and other activities of the church.

“Our church has been dedicated to serving a vast group of minority cultures from all areas of Greater Vancouver for over 40 years, including Egyptians, Ethiopians, Eritreans, Syrians, North Africans, and Iraqis,” Khalil explained. “The community we serve includes people from a wide variety background – refugees, immigrants, children and young people, the elderly, the homeless, people with mental illness and special needs, among others in need of service. Our members serve a great number of marginalized individuals and communities.”

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