Armenian Church Bazaar Season: What It Funds and Who It Helps

From October into early December, Armenian parishes across the US open their halls for the annual bazaar. It looks like a food fair. For many churches, it is the fundraiser that carries the rest of the year.

What is an Armenian church bazaar?

A bazaar is a parish fundraiser built around food. Expect kebab off the grill, pilaf, boreg, choreg, paklava and kadayif, usually alongside raffles, a silent auction, vendor tables and children's activities.

Most run one or two days in the church hall, with eat-in and take-out. This fall, for example, St. James Armenian Church in Watertown holds its 79th bazaar on October 16 and 17. First Armenian Church in Belmont holds its FallFest on October 24.

Who makes it happen?

The kitchen has traditionally belonged to the Ladies' Guild. These women's groups exist in Armenian parishes across the country, and the bazaar is often their biggest project of the year.

The work starts months before the doors open. At St. Stephen's in Watertown, a longtime Guild member described starting preparation the week after the Fourth of July: katah, choreg, boreg and trays of desserts.

The grill is usually run by the men of the parish. At that same bazaar, a Guild member cooked in the kitchen while her daughter served the food. That family relay is what keeps these events going.

Where does the money go?

For many parishes, bazaar proceeds go straight into the operating budget. The Armenian Weekly's coverage of St. Stephen's bazaar described it as the church's largest fundraiser of the year. Its pastor said the community's support keeps the doors open.

Guilds also fund the groups that grow out of a parish. At Holy Trinity Armenian Church in Fresno, the Ladies' Guild's stated purpose includes financial support for the church and its affiliated groups.

Who does it help?

The history of the guilds answers this. Holy Trinity's Ladies' Auxiliary was founded in 1914, the year its church was built. For many years it was the parish's only major fundraiser.

Its members also taught Saturday Armenian classes and visited the sick and shut-ins. A later group, the Trinity Guild, was formed in 1949 to improve Sunday school attendance.

St. Stephen's guild lists the same kind of work: Lenten dinners, hokejash meals, and visits to the Armenian nursing home in Jamaica Plain. The bazaar money stays close to home. It supports the church, its children's programs and the people the parish looks after.

How to help this season

• Go, and bring someone. A non-Armenian friend, or the cousin who only comes at Easter.
• Take some home. Boreg and choreg freeze well, so a take-out order stretches your support past one meal.
• Offer your hands early. Call the parish office in summer, not the week before. Prep, setup and cleanup always need people.
• Donate to the raffle or auction. Gift baskets and donated items are how many raffles are stocked.
• Join the guild. The recipes only survive if someone younger learns them.

If there is no Armenian church near you, call the nearest parish anyway. Most accept donations directly, and the phone number is on every bazaar flyer.

The same food, all autumn

Bazaar food is the food that fills the Armenian table from the grape blessing to Christmas. For the story behind it, read The Armenian Harvest Table: From Blessed Grapes to Ghapama and The Blessing of the Grapes.

The blanket at the top of this page is our Ghapama Pumpkin Dancers woven throw, shown hung as a tapestry. It sits in our Armenian Harvest & Ghapama collection, alongside the rest of our autumn throws, pillows and mugs, all made to order.