The Al Hamra Village Spring Food Festival in Ras Al Khaimah is Friday, March 20 from 5pm to 10pm. Courtesy Al Hamra Spring Food Festival
The Al Hamra Village Spring Food Festival in Ras Al Khaimah is Friday, March 20 from 5pm to 10pm. Courtesy Al Hamra Spring Food Festival
The Al Hamra Village Spring Food Festival in Ras Al Khaimah is Friday, March 20 from 5pm to 10pm. Courtesy Al Hamra Spring Food Festival
The Al Hamra Village Spring Food Festival in Ras Al Khaimah is Friday, March 20 from 5pm to 10pm. Courtesy Al Hamra Spring Food Festival

Food

Two spring food festivals will welcome spring on Friday, March 20

Stacie Overton Johnson

March 19, 2015

  • English
  • Arabic

Two festivals are serving up food and entertainment to welcome the arrival of spring.

The Swiss Spring Festival in Abu Dhabi will be held at the Hilton Abu Dhabi’s gardens on the Corniche. Organised by the Swiss Business Council of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the celebration will feature an array of Swiss food specialities, including raclette (a Swiss cheese dish), the original St Galler kalbsbratwurst (a famous veal sausage from Switzerland) and Rivella — a soda-like beverage that includes milk whey with fruit and herbal extracts. The drink is popular in Switzerland, though largely unknown in the rest of the world. The kalbsbratwurst and Rivella have both been flown into the UAE exclusively for the festival.

The celebration will include live music and entertainment for kids complete with face painting and a bouncy castle. A raffle draw will give guests the chance to win a variety of prizes including an Etihad business class flight to Zurich and six nights in top Swiss hotels. That prize also includes a transfer ride from the airport in Zurich in a Bentley Continental GTC.

The Swiss Spring Festival is from 5-10pm on Friday, March 20. Tickets, which can be purchased at the door, are Dh200 for Swiss Business Council members and for Dh260 for non-members. Children ages six to 12 are Dh100 and there’s free entry for those under age six. Prices include all food and soft drinks.

If you’re closer to Ras Al Khaimah, don’t miss the Al Hamra Spring Food Festival at the Al Hamra Marina Boardwalk. The event will feature pop up restaurants, live cookery stations and music. There will an array of food and retail vendors on hand offering flavours from around the world. Some of the participating restaurants include Shake Shack, Red Star Wok and Pesto Ristorante. There will be Emirati dishes and Indian street food on offer too. The festival will also feature entertainment by Ras Al Khaimah Academy students, Emirati culture groups and performances from a mix of dance groups, including Arabian, Bollywood, street and ballet styles. The festival will be held tomorrow (Friday, Mach 20) from 5pm to 10pm. For more information, email events@alhamravillage.com or call 07 243 2274.

sjohnson@thenational.ae

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