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Andrew Abu-Akel is all smiles at the festival.

A patron tries his luck at the coin toss.

A visitor plays the coin-in-the-bottle game.

Dunk tank awaits splashy action.

American classics were added to this year's menu.

A girl enjoys a pony ride.

Giselle Khoury, Sophia Silva and Katherine Saba.

Hannah Mounayyer, Vivian Istidan and Maysoon Mobaseh.

Annual festival is a tradition for St. George Cathedral.

Melon seeds, cracked wheat and many more cooking ingredients.

Beautiful religious items were for sale.

Food booths provide a variety of dishes.

A child feeds a goat at the petting zoo.

Children enjoy the slide at Kid's Corner.

Tasty Meditteranean dish with tabouli.

Shirley Husson with infant.

Shirley Husson and Salem Exeni among a sea of merchandise.

Xiomara, Adrian and Bassan Zammer with their festival tickets.

Yolla Hayek and Widaa Khoury with some of the delicious food.

St. George Cathedral continued its 60th anniversary celebrations during the Feb. 22-24 weekend at its Middle Eastern Festival, a traditional event that has brought together a diverse community together for many years.

St. George Cathedral, 320 Palermo Ave., began celebrating its 60th anniversary on Nov. 16-18, 2012, and continued by sealing the 60th Anniversary Time Capsule on the actual 60th anniversary — Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013.

The festival included tours of a 1,000-square-foot Holy Land exhibit, church tours, delicious food, games, a Babylonian Petting Zoo and Jericho’s Kid’s Corner featuring a bounce house and face painting.

The evening program included live entertainment by Joseph Bishara, Maestro Haitham Zbib and a traditional Debke performance by the youth of the Cathedral.

Guests also enjoyed homemade Middle Eastern delicacies and sweets as well as American classics added this year, including burgers, hot dogs, roasted corn, cotton candy, popcorn and sodas.

Photos by Betty Alvarez / Events Photographer