“We hope that the community will take this opportunity to come and meet their neighbors and experience Serbian food and culture and learn about the Serbian Eastern Orthodox Christian faith.”

— Mark Rasevic, Saint Luke Serbian Orthodox Church

Those looking for fall fun will find it this weekend at the first SerbFest DC, presented by Saint Luke Serbian Orthodox Church. The event will include Serbian food, drinks, traditional Serbian dance and music performances, and boutiques selling traditional Orthodox religious items and Serbian gifts.

“We hope that the community will take this opportunity to come and meet their neighbors and experience Serbian food and culture and learn about the Serbian Eastern Orthodox Christian faith,” said Mark Rasevic, a first generation Serbian-American and president of the parish board.

Church officials say that one of the goals of SerbFest DC is to fill a void in the Washington, D.C. region of authentic Serbian food and culture. “With the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area’s high level of ethnic diversity, not only are there many ethnic festivals, but there are many people who seek them out,” said Milan Visnick, a second generation Serbian-American and vice-president of the parish board. “We wanted to give the community the opportunity to experience true Serbian culture and hospitality.”

Rasevic and other parishioners say the church is the epicenter for Serbian culture in the Washington, D.C., area and church members are looking forward to sharing ethnic cuisine, customs and culture with the community.

“The festival is a great way for the neighbors to learn about the church and the community of people that makes up our church parish,” said Desanka Elwell, a first generation Serbian-American and director of Sunday school program. “It is also a way for the church community to get to know the individuals that live in and around the church … [and] help the community learn about Serbian culture, history and heritage, things that are beyond the sound bites on the news.”

Among the traditional Serbian dishes that will be available to those attending the festival are jagnjetina (spit-roasted lamb) and svinjetina (spit-roasted pig). Desserts include krofna (deep-fried donuts), Serbian nut rolls, poppy seed rolls and kolači (cookies). Serbian beers and liquor will also be available.

“We hope that the community will gain a positive understanding of the Serbian cuisine, music, merchandise, and really feel our enthusiasm and experience true Serbian hospitality,” said Visnick. “We are very proud of our heritage and culture and are always happy to share it with others. This gives us the opportunity to display a little bit of what it means to be a Serb to our neighbors and the greater Washington community.”

Saint Luke Serbian Orthodox Church is located at 10660 River Road, Potomac. SerbFest takes place Friday, Oct. 2 from 5 - 8 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 3 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Admission and parking to SerbFest DC are free. For more information, go to www.serbfestdc.com.