Yalla Eat! (Arabic for Let’s go eat!) is an immersive culinary experience offered by the Arab American National Museum (AANM).
Through guided walking tours of Dearborn's Warren Avenue and Michigan Avenue, participants learn the story of Arab Americans in metro Detroit, including the history of Arab merchants on East Dearborn's busy commercial strips.
On the Yalla Eat! tours, guests will meet both small and large business owners eager to share the story of their family-run enterprises and savor the sights, sounds and delicious scents at bakeries, nut and coffee houses and fresh produce markets. Traditional Arabic hospitality is on full display, as generous samples are offered along with the stories of individuals, their families and their history.
ONE NIGHT ONLY: Special Ramadan Yalla Eat! Program
7-10 p.m., Tuesday, June 20, 2017
$40 Museum Members, $50 general public
Yalla Eat! is proud to present an exclusive event, offered only one night during the month of Ramadan. Guests of this program will experience a few hours of fasting while exploring the intricate and diverse culture of Ramadan both here in metro Detroit, as well as all around the Arab World. This program includes an informational segment at AANM, followed by a guided tourthrough Arab American grocery store Dearborn Fresh, finally ending with an Iftar dinner at Sheeba Restaurant on Michigan Ave., located within walking distance of the Museum.
Take an in depth look into one of the most spiritual and philanthropic periods in the Islamic calendar. Learn about all the different ways the Dearborn community embraces this month of fasting, spirituality and giving. Explore all the ways the Arab World celebrates Ramadan across cultural, social and religious plains. Join Yalla Eat! for a night of thought-provoking adventure this June!
Ramadan, taking place this year between May 26 and June 25, is a holy month where Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset. It is meant to be a time of spiritual discipline and to partake in extra prayer, increased charity and generosity. Iftar, is the evening meal when Muslims end their daily Ramadan fast at sunset.
PURCHASE RAMADAN EVENT TICKETS
2017 TOUR INFORMATION
This season’s tour schedule is greatly expanded from previous years! Tours will be offered to the public on Saturdays from April through October. Tours will alternate between Michigan and Warren avenues.
Throughout the month of June, tours go on hiatus for the holy month of Ramadan.
Warren Avenue tours begin and end at Super Greenland Market, 12715 W. Warren Ave., in the heart of the Arab American shopping district in East Dearborn. This tour highlights the historic presence of Arab Americans in Dearborn from the perspectives of owners of some of the most distinguished businesses in the community. Explore the intricate and rich culture of Dearborn through a culinary experience hosting the most authentic and uniquely crafted flavors and recipes passed down for generations.
Michigan Avenue tours begin and end at the Arab American National Museum, 13624 Michigan Ave., and offer a more diverse flavor profile of the Arab American community in Dearborn. Guests will have the opportunity to explore a wider variety of nationalities through their foods. There are more than a dozen Arab American food establishments along the Michigan Avenue corridor, including the popular Dearborn Fresh grocery store located just north of AANM.
In addition, AANM has published an updated version of its Yalla Eat! Culinary Map ofDearborn for self-guided exploration. It is available free of charge at the Museum admission desk 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and noon-5 p.m. Sunday. To view the map online, click HERE. To view a video of the Warren Avenue tour, click HERE.
TICKETS + INFORMATION
Tickets for Yalla Eat! tours - $35 for Museum Members and $45 for the general public - are available in advance only on the AANM site. All participants receive a Yalla Eat! shopping tote, a Yalla Eat! culinary map of Dearborn (for self-guided exploration) and one complimentary admission to the Arab American National Museum.
Each tour is led by a Museum docent and is limited to 12 people to allow for an intimate and interactive experience. Tours run approximately 2.5 hours; comfortable walking shoes required. Many stops offer free food samples, and shopping is encouraged.
COMING SOON! YALLA EAT CUSTOM TOURS
Custom tours are individual and private group tours available by reservation only and are designed to offer a more flexible and intimate tour experience. Custom tour rates differ from those of standard tours due to the wider date and time options available.
QUESTIONS? Contact Noura Mattar at NMattar@accesscommunity.org.