{"id":40707,"date":"2015-05-13T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2015-05-13T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/40707\/its-official-street-festivals-are-a-thing-in-beirut"},"modified":"2023-08-11T04:08:00","modified_gmt":"2023-08-11T04:08:00","slug":"its-official-street-festivals-are-a-thing-in-beirut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beirut.com\/en\/40707\/its-official-street-festivals-are-a-thing-in-beirut\/","title":{"rendered":"It’s Official: Street Festivals are a Thing in Beirut"},"content":{"rendered":"It\u2019s springtime in Beirut, which means you can\u2019t swing a dead cat without running into a street festival. There was the Car Free day in Mar Mikhael in late April, Souk El Akel – a new food tasting event happening every Thursday in downtown Beirut, the Makdissi Street Fest two weekends ago.

And now we’re eyeing the Beirut Street Food Festival<\/a> coming up on May 17 in Monot.

Now, I\u2019m not usually one for crowds, but I love me some street festival action (and I know you do too). Here\u2019s nine reasons these bad boys kick ass.<\/big>

9. Flower head wreaths<\/big><\/big><\/b>

(Image by Christina Tkacik for Beirut.com)

Street festivals are the one time in life other than first communion that it\u2019s okay to wear a head wreath, like you\u2019re a whimsical fairy or Jared Leto at Coachella. <\/big>

8. It\u2019s a feast for the eyes<\/big><\/big><\/b>
There\u2019s so much to look at during a street festival \u2013 people dressed in giant mouse costumes breakdancing, shiny pots for Turkish coffee, fresh food for sale, cute dogs and fat babies on their parents\u2019 shoulders. There\u2019s so much to see that people often forget to judge one another for hours at a time \u2013 a true miracle.<\/big>

7. Cheap shit to buy <\/big><\/big><\/b>

(Image by Christina Tkacik for Beirut.com)

Street festivals are a great time to score random crap you didn\u2019t even know you needed \u2013 like a purse with a pug\u2019s face wearing a mustache on it, or a t-shirt that says \u201cSorry I\u2019m late,\u201d or oversized cushions for the floor. <\/big>

6. Free music<\/big><\/big><\/b>
Sometimes the free music is bad \u2013 like out-of-tune 80s-coverband bad. Sometimes it\u2019s bad and loud. Sometimes it\u2019s so bad and so loud you can\u2019t feel your face. Sometimes it\u2019s beautiful. Either way, it\u2019s free, so who cares? <\/big>

5. Weird food<\/big><\/big><\/b>
The food at street festivals isn\u2019t always good, but it is different, and different is good! You can always spit it out and buy something else, because there are so many options.<\/big>

4. You run into people<\/big><\/big><\/b>

(Image by Christina Tkacik for Beirut.com)

You might run into your ex, sure, but it\u2019s likely you\u2019ll be in such a good mood that it\u2019s the best time you possibly could have run into him. And you\u2019ll look like such a babe with your flower headband on you\u2019ll make him wish he hadn\u2019t been such a jerk. <\/big>

3. No cars<\/big><\/big><\/b>
We all struggle with the basic act of walking down the street in Beirut. The sidewalks are crap to begin with \u2013 full of random holes and cracks. Restaurants co-opt the entire sidewalk into an al fresco dining area. Or a car will park on it. Frequently, motorcyclists will drive on the sidewalk, because they\u2019re assholes. Not so during street festivals! No cars are allowed, and pedestrians reign supreme. <\/big>

2. The world is your park<\/big><\/big><\/b>
Beirut is famously lacking in public space. There\u2019s nowhere to hang out in this town except for Starbucks, and Starbucks smells funny. This changes during the Street Festival, when suddenly it becomes okay to sit on the sidewalk. <\/big>

1. Everyone is in a good mood<\/big><\/big><\/b>

(Image by Christina Tkacik for Beirut.com)

Typically, let\u2019s face it, we\u2019re a cranky bunch. And we have reason to be. Old men whisper creepy shit to you, Hawk security guys yell at you at Starbucks, beggars make you feel like shit for not giving them any money. This all changes during a street festival, when suddenly, as if by magic, everyone is magically in a good mood, and even the cops stop brooding. It\u2019s like we all got transported to Sweden, or they put Prozac in the water supply. <\/big>
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