Join CAC on Saturday, October 10th at Somerville High School for our annual Arab American Festival and Bookfair! This event is free of charge and fun for the whole family!
Public and street parking is available around the high school area.
Festival Program and Shows
3:30 to 4:00 pm: Nahda Project Dabkeh Troup and Performance
4:30 to 5:00 pm: CAC Children’s Choir Performance
5:15 to 5:30 pm: Her Story Is Poetry Reading in Arabic and English
5:45 pm to 6:30 pm: Egyptian American Folklore group- Dancing Tannoura, Saidee and other Egyptian folkloric dances
7:00 pm: Akram Abdulfattah Quintet concert
Festival Featured Segments
The Annual Bookfair Presented by Interlink Publishing
Readings by Writers and Authers through out the festival
Art Exhibition by Arab American Artists
Delicious Arabic food presented by Mona Restaurant
Tables for artists and vendors to sell and present their work
More details will be announced soon too!
Details:
Akram Abdulfattah Quintet in Concert- 7 pm
Palestinian American violinist, composer and producer Akram Abdulfattah is an artist who has earned international recognition for his genre-defying music and commitment to cultural dialogue. Most recently Abdulattah was a featured artist in the WOMEX 2025 Showcase Official Selection, has been shortlisted for jazzahead! 2026 and is a recipient of multiple 1st and 2nd prize awards from the Marcel Khalife and Palestinian National Competitions. Abdulfattah’s musical philosophy is rooted in instrumental storytelling, with a distinctive fusion style shaped by Indian, Turkish, and Persian influences, as well as Western genres such as jazz, rock, and funk.
Despite limited resources available to Palestinian artists, Abdulfattah has released ten independent albums, ranging from Live in London (2025), which was recorded during a sold-out appearance at Pizza Express Jazz Club in Soho, London; to Taqasim Kaman (2026), his first solo violin album and an intimate rendering of Arabic violin improvisation. Abdulfattah’s 2026 tour will be his quintet’s debut in the U.S.A., and is intended to elevate Palestinian art and culture within and beyond the field of live music.
Concert Instrumentation: Violin, drum set, keyboard, bass guitar, saxophone.
Nahda Group Dabke Performance- 3:30 to 4 pm
Join Nahda Group in their Dabkeh dance during the festival in a joyful performance
CAC Children’s Choir Performance- 4:30 to 5 pm
CAC Children Choir will perform songs from around the Arab World celebrating Arabic culture through music.
The Children's Choir was established on March 2, 2014. It is the First Arab-American children's choir in Massachusetts. We introduce children 5-15 years old to the language and culture through folkloric, contemporary and modern Arabic music and songs. The Children Choir Goals are:
Introduce Arab-American youths to the Arabic and Middle Eastern music, musicians and singers.
Learn about Arabic quarter tones and singing styles.
Introduce Arabic and Middle Eastern music to American society at large.
Encourage children and teenagers from all backgrounds to join irrespective of speaking Arabic.
Participate in concerts around Massachusetts and beyond to spread the word about the rich Arabic musical heritage.
For those who are interested in practicing their Arabic language skills the choir is a fun and contemporary method to build stronger knowledge of Arabic.
Singing in harmony and a cappella will enrich the children and teenagers’ musical background.
Egyptian American Folkloric Group- 5:45- 6:30 pm
Enjoy Folkloric Dances from Around Egypt! From Tannoura, to Saidee and Iskandarani and many other rich dances from Egypt!