North America’s largest Egyptian festival takes centre stage in Mississauga

Organizers of the largest Egyptian festival in North America will welcome visitors to Mississauga’s downtown core this Saturday for “a celebration of Egyptian culture, diversity and inclusivity.”

The sixth annual Discover Egypt Fest takes place at Celebration Square from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The one-day festival is open to all ages and admission is free.

“Get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant sights and sounds of Egypt with authentic cuisine, traditional music and dance performances,” festival organizers said in an online notice of the event. “Prepare to be mesmerized by the dazzling performances of talented Egyptian artists flying in exclusively for the festival.”

Members of the Canadian Egyptian Heritage Association who stage the festival said earlier this year they expect as many as 100,000 visitors to attend the 2024 festival.

In a presentation to Mississauga city council in February, festival director Andrew Fahmy said 100 or so vendors will attend the event.

Last year’s Discover Egypt festival, which was held the last weekend of August, attracted 55,000 people, featured 75 vendors and distributed some 150,000 meals.

Last year’s Discover Egypt festival at Celebration Square. (YouTube)

Organizers said they’re eagerly anticipating “hosting Egypt’s cultural magic” at Celebration Square. They added the event is the largest Egyptian festival in North America, celebrating Egyptian culture, music and traditions.

The Canadian Egyptian Heritage Association is a non-profit organization formed in 2019 that aims to increase Canadian awareness of Egyptian culture and highlight the Egyptian community’s role in and contributions to modern Canada, members say.

“We established CEHA to be the first and cornerstone association for Egyptian heritage awareness in Canada,” members said in an online description of the group.