13 July 2009

BRUMMANA: An effort to re-position Brummana as a leading tourist magnet saw a successful debut this weekend, with a four-day street fair that launched a new brand: "the Flower City."

Local residents were the main beneficiaries of Brummana Summers, but tourists and visitors who were lucky enough to learn about the event also flocked to the mountain town.

Brummana High School was the scene of an eclectic open air market resembling Souq al-Barghout in Beirut, with numerous stands displaying an array of carpets, faux jewelry, accessories and decorative items.

The shopping options were in competition with street artists, jugglers and clowns on stilts, who spent the weekend teasing and captivating children, as fire-eaters performed an impressive show in the street downhill from the school, which was converted into a pedestrian-only area.

An Art Stairs exhibition that allowed a dozen Lebanese artists to exhibit and sell their work was located five minutes' walking distance from the main fair, or could be reached via a free shuttle provided by the city for the occasion.

Sierid Hoste, a Belgian tourist who came to visit a friend who was exhibiting her paintings, didn't like the fact that the stairs were set off from the other activities.

"People who are not very interested about art will not go there. If it was with the other stands, they could have a look."

Just below the main entrance of Brummana High School, visitors flocked to the Souk al-Tayeb food court, to pick up manousheh, fresh off the traditional saj.

Although the scattered events around Broummana presented an opportunity to tour the charming streets of the town, some visitors cited drawbacks.

Khadeja Bitar, a mother of two from Baabdat, complained of having to thread her way through the traffic with a stroller. "It would have been more convenient if it had been a pedestrian zone," she said.

Despite the complaints, Brummana Summers picked up in the early evenings, as curious visitors followed a local marching band that toured the city center and ended up at BHS. The crush of youngsters during the late afternoon gave way to older visitors as the sun went down. Each evening at 9:30 p.m., a special event was organized, such as a free concert by Abba look-alikes who drew several thousand people for their Thursday night performance, which was followed by a karaoke contest. Other highlights included Saturday's DJ night, and Sunday's fireworks display, which brought the event to a close.

Brummana Summers was a big step for the municipality, which aims to re-establish Brummana as a tourist hot spot in Lebanon.

"It's been a while since we've done something," explained Walid Rizk, the town's mayor. The first step came last year, with the creation of the Brummana Promotion Board. The board works hand in hand with the municipality and aims at promoting the city in Lebanon and abroad. To serve the goal of turning Brummana into a brand, a logo was also created: the Flower City, to mark the colorful fauna that peeks out from many stone houses and gardens in and around the town.

"We want people to come and spend time here, eat in the restaurants and shop on this lovely hillside," the mayor said.

Even before these efforts, Brummana has earned a reputation as a very attractive summer destination for tourists from the Gulf region and others, who rent furnished apartments for their stay. But competition from other towns has been steady

"With the rise of cities like Bhamdoun and Batroun, tourism dropped in Brummana. People wouldn't come here anymore. We are trying to put it back on the map," said Josiane Boulos, the managing partner of Urban Art, the organizer of the festival.

Brummana Summers is still a first-edition festival, and most of the people visiting are from the town itself and neighboring areas. One of the few Saudi visitors who was on hand assumed that the marching band was out in force to provide entertainment for a wedding.

Most visitors gave the debut edition of Brummana Summers good marks.

"It is a very good thing for the city. I will tell my friends who are not from Brummana to come," said Riyad Mansour, a native of the town.

Copyright The Daily Star 2009.