What began with 30 immigrant families dreaming of a spiritual home has grown into one of North Texas’s most beloved cultural food festivals.
Our Lady of Lebanon Maronite Catholic Church, Lewisville, TX — October 2-4, 2026
Behind every great food festival is usually a good story, and this one starts with a dream that took years to build. Lebanese Maronite families across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex had long hoped for a spiritual home of their own, and that dream began taking real shape in early 1990, when Father Elias Abdallah Zaidan, then a pastor in San Antonio and now a bishop, started making the four-hour drive to Dallas just to celebrate services with the growing community.
An official mission was established that October, and just two years later, in 1992, the community purchased a 3.5-acre property in Lewisville, complete with an 18,000-square-foot church building. Two years after that, in October 1994, under the leadership of Father Andre Estephan, the parish held its very first Lebanese Food Festival, created to share Lebanese culture, celebrate the community’s heritage, and support the growing church.
Thirty-two years later, that festival has become one of the most anticipated cultural events in North Texas. The 27th Annual Lebanese Food Festival runs October 2-4, 2026, at 719 University Place in Lewisville, and it remains completely free, family-friendly, and open to absolutely everyone, regardless of background.
The food is the main draw, and it doesn’t disappoint. Expect authentic dishes like stuffed grape leaves, kibbi, falafel, tabbouli, kafta, and baklava, all prepared with the kind of care that only comes from a community cooking for its own heritage. Beyond the food, the festival features live Lebanese music, traditional folk dancing, a silent auction with great prizes, and a dedicated children’s play area with games to keep younger visitors entertained throughout the weekend.
What started as a small parish gathering meant to help fund a young church has grown into a genuine North Texas tradition, one that’s introduced thousands of non-Lebanese visitors to Lebanese culture and cuisine over the decades while giving the local Lebanese community a joyful way to celebrate its roots every fall.
Whether you’re Lebanese, Lebanese-at-heart, or simply hungry for something new, the Lebanese Food Festival offers a warm, welcoming weekend rooted in more than three decades of community and tradition.
For more information dfwlebanesefoodfest.com
