ROYAL OAK — The Detroit Zoo will celebrate Metro Detroit’s Arab-Chaldean community and culture at the Arab-Chaldean Festival on Saturday, August 23, from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. 

The event is part of a series of ethnic festivals at the zoo that also featured Asian, Hispanic and African cultures earlier in the summer.

Live entertainment at the Arab-Chaldean Festival will include performances by dance ensemble Troupe Ta’amullat and Armenian musician Ara Topouzian, well known as a player of  the Middle Eastern string instrument, the qanun.

There will also be food from local Middle Eastern restaurants, calligraphy demonstrations, henna art, and activities with animals from Middle Eastern countries. 

Activities will take place in the plaza east of the Ford Education Center and are free with the cost of Zoo admission.  Subscribers to Comcast, an event sponsor, who show their bill at the ticket booth receive $2 off one adult admission.

The Detroit Zoo is located at 8450 W 10 Mile Rd, Royal Oak.

For more information, call (313) 852-4056.