DEARBORN, Mich. (WXYZ) — Two events kick off Friday night in Dearborn that recognize the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Ramadan Nights is organized by the city of Dearborn, and the Ramadan Suhoor Festival is back again.
The Suhoor festival is being held in the parking lot of Fairlane Town Center and goes from 10:30 p.m. until 3 a.m. The event takes place until April 15 a few nights per week as explained on the festival's website.
Contractors spent the day putting the final touches on the 55,000-square-foot tent.
“That took about 10 days, and the last three days we’ve been moving in all the electricity, the vendors, the lighting. It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it," Hassan Chami, the festival's founder, told 7 Action News.
He said proceeds from the Ramadan Suhoor Festival, after expenses, will benefit local charities and scholarships.
About 80 vendors will help the community celebrate Ramadan, according to Chami. Some will sell merchandise, and about 60 of them will serve food.
Chami said Ramadan isn’t just about fasting from food from sunrise until sunset for 30 days, but he said it’s spiritual as well as physical.
“It’s a month of self-reflection. It’s a month where God says, 'You’ve been distracted for 11 months in this world throughout this year. (Now) humble yourself, ground yourself, this is a month of self-reflection. Slow down,'" he explained.
Chami said the goal is “to leave the month a better person than you entered the month.”
Local resident Bushra Jomaa said she’s recognizing Ramadan and looking forward to visiting the festival again this year.
She said she wants to “try the vendors. They’re like small businesses. They’re local. They’re from the community. We support them. We go out and support them.”
Vendors like Keaik’s Food Truck are participating.
“There isn’t a better way to bring people together than food. You’re going to have Muslim, Christian, Hindu, people that don’t even believe in God," Ali Keaik told 7 Action News.
He and his wife Nada's food truck is one of 18 on site. They describe sundown during Ramadan as Thanksgiving.
“It’s a way to definitely bring you back life and just remember that.. be grateful and thankful for everything that you have," Nada Keaik explained.
To make sure vendors like the Keaik’s have the power they need to function, electrical contractor Viktor Camaj said he's been working nonstop. The owner of Platinum Power Systems said he's been handling electricity for the festival since its inception in 2018.
“It just keeps getting bigger and bigger. It’s pretty amazing,” Camaj said of the festival's growth.
