When I think “beer festival,” I think country music and hot dogs or German heritage and sauerkraut. So when I heard there was one happening in Lebanon, I knew I had to check it out.
And, much to my joy, it totally had an Arabic twist.
Al Midan, a square in the northern city of Ehden that's filled with restaurants and cafes, hosted its second-annual beer festival — the biggest beer festival in Lebanon — on Friday and Saturday.
I went on Saturday — which initially had an American feel to it. The day started with a beer pong tournament and a DJ playing English music. But around 11:30 p.m., the vibe totally changed.
A Lebanese oriental band got on stage and sang classic Arabic songs that everyone grew up to. Thousands of people crowded around the stage, sang along and danced.
Check out the video to hear the performance of my favorite classic Lebanese song, “Howara."