Saturday, September 30, and Sunday, October 1, of this year will long be ingrained in the memories of the parishioners and friends of St. John the Baptist Cathedral in Washington, DC. On these days, the annual two-day fundraiser bazaar was held.

Preparations for this large event began in the summer and continued to the final days before the festival’s start. The organizers of the bazaar and their assistants worked cooperatively as always, a spirit of warmth reigned and was felt by all. Such events are very important for parish life, not only because they bring in significant income for the church, but also because it offers the ability to show the multitudinous heterodox guests the beauty of an Orthodox church and of the Orthodox Faith, to become acquainted with Russian ethnic and spiritual traditions, and to sample the rich national cuisine. This is especially important in the face of the current complicated relations between the USA and Russia.

 On Saturday, the newly appointed Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Anatoly I. Antonov, came to the bazaar. He saw the church community in the full swing of its activity, and promised to help in the work in the future.

Tours were arranged for the many guests, and parishioners delighted them with Russian folk music: songs and dancing. A professional Georgian dance company from New York delighted spectators with their mastery on both days of the bazaar. A children’s corner was set up for the little ones, where they could partake in games and other activities.

Various and quality handicrafts from Russia were presented on a giant stand, where they were gladly purchased by American friends of the parish community.