From  Orlando Sentinel | April 3, 2025

Family-friendly event at Masjid Al Hayy celebrates the end of Ramadan with diverse, delicious options

Eid (pronounced “eed”) marks the end of the month of Ramadan for Muslims around the world and is celebrated during the first three days of Shawwal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar. Feasts abound. And at Sanford’s beautiful Masjid Al Hayy mosque, they’re throwing a big one.

The Orlando Halal Eats Food Festival is the first of its kind says events coordinator Naushina Khaki. In the past, these festivals have been more traditional. This year, however, members of the congregation wanted to welcome the entire community as they often do for other events.

And they’re doing so with more than 20 savory, sweet and sippable vendors.

“After 30 days of fasting from sunup to sundown, everyone wants to feast,” says Khaki. “We usually host events to bring the families from the area’s Muslim communities together because we have quite a few of them. We do meals and activities for the kids and other things and usually end the Eid celebration with fireworks. This year we decided to do something different.”

Promoting Muslim-owned businesses with Halal offerings, from restaurants to food trucks to pop-ups, she says, is exciting.

“We’ll have Pakistani, Chinese, Thai, Mediterranean and more. There will be dessert and coffee shops coming out. We want everyone to try the different cuisines.”

Throughout Ramadan, she says, they’ve offered suhoor feasts.

“This is when we eat from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. and they’ve been a huge success,” she explains. “So, we thought why not bring a part of it to our Eid festival this year and show people our beautiful mosque.”

Masjid Al Hayy hosts interfaith events will many organizations, she says.

“We’ll have the Sheriff’s Department or the deputy mayor come out. Or people from Orlando’s Sikh and Christian and Jewish communities. They speak to us, and we celebrate being one united Floridian community. It’s not just about being a Muslim and living in the United States, it’s about being friendly with our neighbors … and showing people that we’re all the same, we all love to celebrate with our family and friends; we all love food.

And at Saturday’s event, there will be a lot of it.

Vendors in attendance will include: Chaat House (Indo-Chinese), Big Backs BBQ (East African fusion), Maya Thai Cuisine, Koyla Pakistani BBQ, Ox’s Way (vegan), The Halal Brisket, Dave’s Hot Chicken, Chef Abu Rimas, Melt n Dip, The Burger Jawn and many more.

A host of family-friendly activities and entertainment, including train rides, mini golf, an obstacle course, free soccer scrimmages and coaching from Paris Saint-Germain Academy and more will be available, as well.

“We welcome people from everywhere, all the time,” says Khaki, noting that tours of the mosque are available, as well. “We host high school and college religion classes and more. And we are so grateful that so many of these Orlando vendors will be coming out to us for the first time.”

People often think the mosque is only for Muslims, she says, “but we want everyone to come here … it’s the most welcoming place anyone could ever visit.”

And on Saturday, one of the most delicious.