Food-centric Fest for Ramadan Suhoor kicks off on Friday at Dearborn, Michigan

Digital Desk: Michigan's Dearborn Ramadan Suhoor Festival is an outdoor, food-centric affair intended to unite the community throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

According to the founder Hassan Chami, the good feedback from previous participants and a few operational modifications by his crew were able to bring the event, which he claims attracts around 10,000 people per night.

"I cancelled back in December, then turned it back on in the middle of January when there was an outcry from the community," Chami explained, adding that he conducted a social media survey to see whether guests would be comfortable with him boosting the admission charge from $1 to $5 this year. Any proceeds remaining after expenditures will be donated to charity and used to fund the festival's student scholarship programme.

Chami, who organized the Suhoor Fest in 2018, 2019, and 2022, is continuing with the large Fairlane Town Center because it is easily accessible and has enough free parking.

Reportedly, this year's event will feature more than 60 food and beverage vendors, as well as those selling products and supporting nonprofit and community organisations. "The main attraction is a 55,000-square-foot tent, as well as a 45,000-square-foot food truck park with roughly 18 trucks. The Suhoor Fest features over 80 merchants in all, and we had to turn away more than half of those that applied." Chami added.

While food and socialising are important aspects of the Ramadan Suhoor Festival, Chami believes it is also about uniting the community.

According to Chami, this year's festival cooperated with the app LetsHalal, a brand-new third-party food ordering service. Almost half of the vendors will have LetsHalal barcodes, allowing visitors to order on their phones without having to wait in line; they will receive a text when the food is ready.

Suhoor is the last meal taken at night during Ramadan before the sun rises and fasting begins again. Attendees at the event can pick between sweet and savoury food vendors, all of which are halal, ranging from fried chicken and waffles from the Chicken Coupe to loaded tiny gourmet doughnuts from Hanky Panky Donuts.