Evergreen Road Shuts Down For Chaldean Festival

SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - Evergreen Road will be closed from Civic Center Drive to 11 Mile Road from 6:00 pm Thursday, June 9 through 5:00 am Monday, June 13 for the 6th Annual Chaldean Festival.

Access to local businesses, the Southfield Civic Center, Library, Golf Course and Police Station will not be affected. Motorists can use Central Park Boulevard between Civic Center Drive and 11 Mile Road as a detour.

The Chaldean Festival is a celebration of contemporary Chaldean culture for anyone who wishes to be a part of the festivities and learn about the Chaldean roots.

The three-day festival will feature a full carnival with amusement park rides and games. There will also be additional attractions, such as food booths, live entertainment, merchant booths, and an expanded cultural tent displaying Chaldean culture and art.

This year's festival will run Friday, June 10 from 4 to 10 pm, and Saturday, June 11 and Sunday, June 12 from 12 noon to 10 pm.

Chaldeans are the indigenous people of Iraq who speak Aramaic and are Eastern Rite Catholic. Metro Detroit hosts the largest Chaldean population outside of Iraq.

According to a survey conducted in 2008 by Walsh College and The United Way, more than 113,000 Chaldeans reside in 27,500 households across Southeast Michigan. An additional 8,400 Iraqi Chaldean Refugees have resettled in Michigan since the survey was completed.

For more information about the festival, call 248-538-3700 or visit www.chaldeanchamber.com.