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SIDON/BEIRUT: Two of Lebanon’s most popular destinations were transformed into massive theaters of live performances during the weekend, as thousands of people celebrated Eid al-Fitr in Hamra and the coastal city of Sidon.
In the capital, the busy and cosmopolitan street of Hamra was filled with music, decorations, circus performances and other fun events, as the Maraya 2010 festival was held from Friday to Sunday.
Hamra Street, which usually witnesses bumper-to-bumper traffic, was packed with people walking, dancing, singing and enjoying the parade.
On the first day of the festival, a convoy of Harley Davidson motorbikes rode through the crowd, accompanied by a car transporting Miss Lebanon 2010 Rahaf Abdallah, a married couple in a horse carriage, entertainers on stilts, and dancers performing a traditional sword fight.
The traditional Lebanese dance, the dabke, was also performed, while children flew balloons and rushed to gather as much candy as possible. Girls were dressed as gypsies, musical instruments were everywhere and the flashes of cameras were going off faster that anyone could say “cheese.”
The three-day celebration also included performances by jazz artist Arthur Satyan, oud player Charbel Rouhana, Beirut’s Hip-Hop band, Fareeq al-Atrash and Cirque du Liban. Sports activities were also present, with the contribution of Hoops basketball club and Lebanese Rally champion Jean-Pierre Nasrallah, in addition to a food market, poetry recitals, plays and shops.
The organizers described the event as the first of its kind in Hamra since 1998 and enjoyed seeing the famous street live up to its pre-war reputation of being the most cosmopolitan and most popular street in Beirut.
Maraya 2010 was launched by Hamra Street’s Merchants Association, under the patronage of Premier Saad Hariri.
Also over the weekend, the coastal city of Sidon in the south of Lebanon marked the end of Ramadan with busy and joyous Eid al-Fitr festivities.
Sidon’s boulevard was closed for cars and the streets were decorated in a fairytale-like fashion with bright lights escorting visitors as they walked past the cafes, clowns, air balloons and entertaining performances.
Over 50 artists were featured in the celebration, such as the French companies Remue-Menage and Motus Modules, which held extravagant shows mixing dance, theater, aerobics and music. Clowns entertained children with face painting and fun activities, while giant animal-shaped balloons were released into the sky.
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