The biggest festival in Lebanon is set to kick off next month with Tripoli’s Rashid Karami Tripoli International Fair, during which the capital of the north will attempt to revive the embattled city. The schedule for the annual Tripoli Festival was announced over the weekend by Badih Arnaout, the festival coordinator, at a news conference by the Reality Cultural Social Association in Qalamoun’s Lamunia Hotel.
The festival will run for four days from April 9-12 with this year’s slogan “Change Your Reality, Run for the North.â€
The lineup promises a fun-filled few days, with music, cultural and sports activities all held at the new Rashid Karami International Fair, designed by Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.
Special activities for children will include various games, acrobatics, plays and concerts. Numerous restaurants will also be open for lunch and dinner.
Lebanese singers Joseph Attieh and Ziad Bourji will perform at the festivalSaturday, April 11, and Sunday, April 12, respectively.
A number of races will be organized by the Beirut Marathon Association on the final day of the fair, between 6:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.
“We meet today together united by the reality of the north and Tripoli,†North Lebanon Governor Ramzi Nohra said.
Speaking at the news conference, Nohra praised the work being done by all to revitalize the north’s capital.
“We should learn from the painful past of what Tripoli has been through to realize the change we seek,†Nohra said.
“We are looking forward to making plans and programs, which we hope will soon be implemented, to serve the interests of people, achieve the progress and the prosperity that we’re aiming to have in order to leave the issues we are currently suffering from behind.â€
The security situation in Tripoli has been turbulent over recent years, particularly with the onset of the Syrian crisis and its spillover into Lebanon. Clashes along sectarian lines have threatened coexistence in the city, with some youths pledging allegiance to extremist groups.
“Ultimately, the main goals of the festival are health-related, educational and humanitarian,†said Mustapha Banbouk, the head of the Reality Cultural Social Association.
Proceeds from the festival will go to support a free medical card project launched by the association and a prominent insurance company.
May Khalil, president of the Beirut Marathon Association, explained during the conference that the festival and the association both have similar goals in terms of making people happy and raising awareness about certain social issues.
Bourji, who also attended the conference, announced that he would participate in the marathon on the final day, stressing that this event was an important one that would reflect the real image of Tripoli.
