DEARBORN — The holy month of Ramadan is approaching, and much of the Dearborn community is preparing for this spiritually significant time when Muslims abstain from food and water from dawn to dusk for 30 days, while also engaging in prayer and community.

Throughout the month, large Iftar gatherings — the meal when Muslims break their fast — have become a special tradition for Muslims as they indulge in food, conversation and spiritual devotion. It’s customary to break fast with a date and some water before enjoying the meal.

Many businesses in Dearborn extend their evening hours during this time, allowing those who fasted all day to grab a coffee or a freshly baked pie from the bakery after Iftar. Muslims have also delved into new traditions with the introduction of Suhoor festivals. Suhoor, the meal eaten before dawn, is an intrinsic part of Ramadan, providing sustenance while fostering a sense of community as Muslims collectively partake in the pre-dawn traditions. These festivals have emerged in multiple cities across the nation. For several years, Dearborn has hosted its own Ramadan Suhoor Festival, launched by Hassan Chami and featuring a variety of food, drink and merchandise vendors.

While the event was not held last year due to the ongoing bombardment in Gaza, Chami announced on social media that it will return this Ramadan, with a new concept: Ramadan Village. This event will be held at the Canteen at Midtown in Dearborn every weekend of the holy month from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. The Canteen at Midtown offers several food and drink options, with a courtyard outside lined with rotating food trucks. For the Ramadan Village, Chami said there will be an additional tent outside to accommodate the 40 plus vendors who are a part of it.

Previous Suhoor festivals in Dearborn had a stage setup with live performances. However, Chami said that won’t be returning this year in an effort to “tone it down” and recognize the hardships suffered in Gaza and Lebanon this past year.

“We’re going to have two massive tents and the building, so you’ll be walking around like a little village, going from one place to another,” he said in a social media post.