Part of combo plate 1 from St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church: Fatoosh, Falafel, Hummus, and Pita. The falafel is fresh cooked and the fatoosh is super good.
Fried Noodles
Samosa from the Seed – it’s got a kick.
Sweet sticky rice. The outside part is made of sticky rice flour, and it is almost impossibly sticky. The inside was super sweet and coconut flavored.
Shwe Kyi, an awesome semolina dessert with coconut.
The Lowell Folk Festival is a melting pot of street food. Here are our reviews, from the delicious to the meh.
Matt had one of the best gyros he’s had, from the booth by the Hellenic American Academy PTA. He ate it all before I could snap a photo!
I really liked the fried noodles from the
WAT LAO Mixayaram Temple. They had fresh cilantro and bean sprouts, strips of egg, and a tasty sauce. Amazing for $3!
We tried an ice cream from a food truck that you can buy from the grocery store. The brand is called batch. We tried the green tea and ginger flavors, which go well together, but the ginger was the one that really shined for me.
Shwe Kyi was a coconut based Burmese dessert that we tried and really enjoyed. We also got a sweet sticky rice from the Overseas Burmese Christian Fellowship, which requires skill to eat.
Don’t bother getting a raspberry lime rickey or lemonade that isn’t fresh squeezed; neither are worth it. I wish there were a booth selling horchata!
The Lowell Folk Festival is a free 3-day International Music Festival that takes over downtown Lowell for a weekend every summer, and if you are in the area I strongly encourage you to check it out!
The music plays on 5 stages, and we saw and heard Taiko drumming, Egyptian music and dancing, and Moroccan trance music, Bachata, go-go, bluegrass, and Irish Folk. They have much more. One of the stages is a dedicated dance pavilion. The streets downtown are closed to cars, and everyone is out walking around. Lots of businesses have special offers, there are free giveaways and coupons from different companies, and there are beer tents for those who are inclined.
Saturday schedule for the Dance Pavilion
If you are like me, you’re wondering about the food at the festival, and there’s good news: There is a huge amount of delicious ethnic food available throughout the festival, which different nonprofits use as a fundraiser- check out our reviews in a separate post.
Logistics:
If you are driving, there are a number of city lots near the festival with parking, or you can arrive early and grab street parking, or take advantage of the public transit and take the bus. I saw some people with bikes and skateboads, but the crowd can be hard to navigate through.
There’s seating at most of the stages but if you want to be sure, bring your own. Blankets work at some of the stages and low lawn chairs would work at all of them. I spotted someone with a tiny folding stool, which looked awesome for this event.
Bring cash for food, CDs, and parking. Wear sunscreen, and a hat if you need more sun protection. Your shoes need to be comfortable enough for some serious walking, and dancing if the music strikes you. If you choose to donate to the festival, they’ll give you a set of beads.
This event caters to families and pet owners. There’s face painting and crafts in addition to the music fun.
Stages:
Dutton St Dance Pavilion is my favorite location for the festival, and if I could resist wandering around and trying to see everything, it is where I would stake out. Everything is under a huge tent, so you have some protection from the sun. They also pick bands that play danceable music; the crowd is filled with energy and even if you don’t want to dance the music will get your toes tapping! Finally, the people watching is fun.
St. Anne’s churchyard and Market St stage are both smaller grassy areas.
the mint tea drinkers society 