HOULTON, Maine — Food is a universal language that can bring people together to celebrate different cultures, said Ruba Haddad, the chairwoman of the Houlton Rotary International Service Committee.
To get a flavor of the foods from Houlton residents who have come to Houlton from other countries, the community is invited to sample 42 foods prepared by area residents from 21 different nations at the International Food Festival from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, July 6, at Houlton Middle High School on Byrd Street.
“This is a journey for us and we are discovering a lot,” Haddad said. “Let’s be honest, we are all from somewhere else, and we are also celebrating with people who have always lived here and discovering their roots.”
Haddad is from Amman, Jordan, where she met her husband, a Houlton native, while they were teaching at a boarding school, she said. Their oldest daughter was born there and they moved back to Houlton eight years ago.
“To have my kids put on their traditional clothes from Jordan and to have them come here and talk about food — it means so much to me,” she said about sharing their culture at the festival.
Like Haddad, there are families living in Houlton from other nations including Jamaica, Romania, South Korea, Uganda, Ghana, Canada and Germany, she noted.
The Rotary International Service Committee has donated money to international projects like Toilets for Students in El Salvador and they sent money to help with an earthquake in Haiti. But they also wanted to find a way to contribute to the local community with an international celebration.
That’s when they thought of an international dessert auction representing nine nations three years ago. The event grew to 14 nations last year and now is up to 21.
“We keep finding people and people are reaching out to us when there is a new family,” Haddad said. “They contact us and I go meet them. We are bringing people together and celebrating different cultures in a safe environment so it’s been an amazing journey and we keep adding things.”
Additionally, the festival has grown beyond just a culinary experience; it now includes live performances, children’s activities, a gift shop, and a live auction with this year’s focus on children and how to make them curious about things that are different.
Haddad is teaching a simple Jordanian dance and reading a story written by the Queen of Jordan.
“It’s a story about a girl from America and a girl from Jordan and they are friends and they do everything together except when it comes to food,” she said. “We are preparing the children to try something new. And It’s OK if you don’t like it, it’s OK but give it a try. It was prepared with love so give it a try.”
A woman originally from Romania, who is opening a European pastry shop in Houlton, will be making four different dishes and a man from Jamaica is making his signature curry chicken.
This year the committee asked local businesses to sponsor a nation for $100. They have already raised $2,100.All proceeds from sponsorships and auction sales will support the committee’s international service projects. For more information, contact Johanna Johnston at 207-521-0157 or johanna@sadcaroostook.org.
This story was updated to correct the day of the event.
