For the first time ever, the Arlington Mayor’s Muslim Advisory Council and Levitt Arlington are hosting a public cultural celebration this weekend.

The American Muslim Cultural Celebration will take place on Saturday, March 4 from 2:00 PM to 6:00 PM at the Levitt Pavilion in downtown Arlington. There is free entry.

The family-friendly event is open to the entire community and will feature live entertainment and marketplace shopping for art, fashion and international cuisine. It will also feature a number of musical artists and cultural performances such as dance, musical instruments, a robotics presentation.

There will also be a Quranic recitation and Asr prayer (Islamic afternoon prayer). Special guest speakers scheduled to appear are Arlington Mayor Jim Ross, State Representative Salman Bhojani and Dr. Omar Suleiman, an internationally known researcher, author and civil rights leader.

A portion of the fundraising will be donated to US-based humanitarian aid for earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria. The event is made possible by support from Zio Al’s Pizza & Pasta, Just 7 Lube & Auto Repair and other local supporters.

Yaman Subei, who is co-chairing the celebration with Arlington Muslim Advisory Council members Sam Mahrouq and Walid Joulani, said the council created the event to bring together people from all communities, especially those who may have had limited opportunities to interact with Muslim cultures.

“American Muslims have played a significant role in society by running small and large businesses, employing and supporting many families,” said Subei, who also chairs the Arlington Muslim Advisory Council.

“For us, the American dream is real! We often lead in our professions as doctors, counselors, lawyers, engineers, accountants, etc. We are engaged in education and support society with our donations and benefits in kind, but we mostly do it under a hidden identity,” he added. ” Unfortunately, we are mostly known to the mass public for a false image that extreme radicals have portrayed through the media. I hope with this event that we can open up to the larger community so that people get to know us. That is one of the reasons why Mayor Ross created the council – to provide a loud voice and a seat at the table for Muslim community members in Arlington – and we appreciate that.”

Subei said the upcoming celebration is a first for Arlington.

“In fact, we are not aware of any public event in Dallas-Fort Worth that offers this type of opportunity for non-Muslim community members to experience and enjoy Muslim culture firsthand,” he said. “The volunteers are planning an exciting showcase and celebration of secular and religious Muslim culture, including amazing food, memorable cultural performances, and inspiring and insightful commentary from our guest speakers. We invite all members of the public to join us at the beautiful Levitt pavilion for what is sure to be a fantastic event.”

Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs or blankets. Food and beverages will be available for purchase on site, but coolers are also permitted. No glass containers or alcoholic beverages are allowed.

Parking is free and available on all sides of Levitt and in public car parks around the city centre. Click here for map.

“Levitt continually promotes culturally rich programming, which is why we jumped at the opportunity to sponsor this celebration of the amazing multicultural tapestry that makes Arlington unique,” said Letatia Teykl, CEO of Levitt Arlington. “We look forward to welcoming. guests to this and other community events and multi-genre concerts during the 2023 season.”

To learn more, visit levittpavilionarlington.org/events.