CHICAGO, IL - One of North America’s largest events celebrating the beauty of Turkish culture, the 2nd Annual Turkish Festival, welcomed attendees for three straight days in Chicago with a stimulating array of traditional Turkish handicrafts, live music and arts performances, cuisine and educational panels - such as “Stories that Bond Us: The Global Appeal of Turkish Dramas” by Hind Makki, Brand Specialist of Turkish Streaming Platform TABII.
Held Memorial Day Weekend at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in the Chicago suburb of Rosemont, the festival was attended by esteemed Turkish dignitaries and American lawmakers, including the Ambassador of Türkiye to the United States Mr. Sedat Önal, Turkish Consul General in Chicago Mr. Tahir Bora Atatanır, Mayor of Şanlıurfa Mr. Mehmet Kasım Gülpınar and Turkish American Steering Committee (TASC) President Attorney Seyit Şahin. The festival also included a media partnership with Anadolu Agency.
In the festival, attendees discovered the unique charm of Turkish arts and crafts at a bazaar with over 200 booths. Skilled artisans also demonstrated traditional art forms including ceramics, calligraphy, paper marbling (ebru) and illumination (tehzip).
As an added feature, 10 randomly-selected attendees from the first 2,000 registrants for the event were awarded free round-trip tickets courtesy of Turkish Airlines. The tickets were presented during the Sunday evening main session by Zakat Foundation of America Executive Director and Turkish Festival Committee Founding Member Halil Demir.
