DHAHRAN: King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture, Ithra, is this week full of fun and celebration for the Gargee’an festivities.
Ithra’s festivities will last until March 15 from 8:30 p.m. until 1:00 a.m.
The center is offering numerous indoor and outdoor activities for children of all ages, including performances of traditional folk songs and other live shows.
The main plaza at Ithra will have plenty of activities and Instagram-worthy moments. The Children’s Museum, Children’s Oasis, the Library and Energy Exhibit will each have dedicated activities.
The outdoor spaces are also decorated with colorful confetti, often blasted in plumes, to delight giddy children and amused adults.
Gargee’an is a traditional festival marking the middle of Ramadan, primarily celebrated in Gulf countries, specifically Kuwait, Bahrain, Iraq, the UAE, and the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia, where Dhahran is located.
Children wear traditional attire and often go knocking door-to-door in their neighborhoods while chanting traditional folk verses.
They receive handfuls of sweet treats and trinkets that are collected in their little traditional baskets.
At Ithra, the children need merely stand in line to receive goodies, without needing to go anywhere.
Arab News spoke to Dammam resident Fatimah Alqahtani at the Children’s Museum arts and crafts section. She was coloring a small wooden door with her 5-year-old daughter Munerah and her daughter’s 7-year-old cousin, Rania.
“I have the Ithra app and I often check for events — there are always things happening,” she said. “This is our first time attending the Ithra Gargee’an event — I heard that last year’s celebration was really nice so we decided to check it out. And since the weather is lovely, we are going to go outside after this,” Alqahtani said.
The wooden door they colored is theirs to keep.
When Arab News asked what part of the celebration they liked most, the girls chirped: “Everything! Everything!”
During Gargee’an, only the Children’s Museum requires an entry ticket, which can be bought on the premises. All other spaces are free.
