St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church sets 61st Lebanese Dinner for May 2

Published 4:00 am Sunday, April 24, 2022

After a one-year break, the Lebanese Dinner returns on May 2 to St. George Antiochian Orthodox Church, 2709 Washington St., with some modifications.

“We’re going to do a drive-thru on the south side of the building,” said Rhonda Wright, one of the dinner chairmen. “On the north side of the building, people can park in the Traveler’s Rest parking lot and walk up to the kitchen door and pick up their meal there.”

There will be no dining in or picking up orders inside. Dinners are $18 each and will be available from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets must be purchased in advance; tickets will not be available at the door. The menu for the dinner is cabbage rolls, baked kibbe, tabooli salad, green beans with tomato sauce and pita bread.

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

“There will be no sweets available,” Wright said.

She said the kibbe has already been made, adding the other menu items will be prepared starting on April 28 “and we will work Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday preparing everything else. This will be our 61st (dinner).”

Last year’s dinner was canceled out of concern for COVID-19, Wright said, adding, “It really broke our heart.”

This year’s dinner, she said, “Is going to be a trial for this COVID situation. We’re trying to do the drive-thru; we’re going to see how successful it is. Hopefully, by next year, we can get back our normal services.”

The Lebanese Dinner began in 1959 as a fundraiser to help pay a mortgage and has grown into a Vicksburg tradition that in the past has drawn about 3,500 people annually who come to the dinner at the church for a taste of Middle Eastern cuisine.

About John Surratt

John Surratt is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a degree in general studies. He has worked as an editor, reporter and photographer for newspapers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He has been a member of The Vicksburg Post staff since 2011 and covers city government. He and his wife attend St. Paul Catholic Church and he is a member of the Port City Kiwanis Club.

email author More by John