On Saturday, December 3rd, the downtown location of Phoenicia Specialty Foods at 1001 Austin Street presents its annual YUMMY! Wonderland International Festival and Brunch. The family-friendly event has something for everyone to enjoy at any age—and it’s free to attend! (Space is limited, though, so it’s important to reserve tickets online.)

There are so many fun activities at the event that the only difficult part might be deciding what to do first!

Phoenicia Specialty Foods is known for its food and grocery offerings from around the world, so it only makes sense that YUMMY! Wonderland is a multicultural event. Customs showcased from around the world include those from the United States, Mexico, Latin America, Russia and the Ukraine, among others. The inclusive spirit extends to the live entertainment from local and international performers. Here are just a few:

• Quartet group, Operativo Houston, benefiting local opera singers in Houston, will sing Christmas carols in English and German
• The dynamic FLY Dance Company will energize the festival with a preview of their Healthy Hip Hop Show.
• Trepet: Ridna Shkola Ukrainian School of Houston will entertain with their performances of traditional Ukrainian folk dances

Check out the full entertainment schedule online.

There are plenty of activities planned for kids, too. Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on-hand (yes, kids of ALL ages can get their picture taken with Santa), as well as ornament decorating and crafts with Mrs. Claus and her elves. (Fun fact: Santa can speak English and French, so kids might even start the journey of learning a second or third language while visiting)

In the holiday spirit of giving, attendees are encouraged to donate a new, unwrapped toy to Operation Stocking Stuffer. The men and women of the Houston Fire Department will be on hand to gratefully accept donations to the cause.

Of course, this is a great opportunity to catch up on some holiday shopping, too. There will be many meaningful, unique items available for purchase that will make wonderful gifts for friends and family. For example, The Community Cloth will sell handcrafted products made by women from all over the world who have made Houston their home.

In addition, the Houston Institute for Culture East End Studio Gallery will showcase hand painted dolls, ornaments and other crafts from Mexico. Many other retail vendors are displaying artifacts from across the globe, too.

Food and wine make terrific gifts, too, and Phoenicia Specialty Foods is well known for its vast selection. Throughout the market, guests will be able to taste for themselves some of the most festive offerings, including wine paired with chocolate, cheese and other international holiday treats such as Turkish delight.

Each department will offer festive seasonal items a la carte to celebrate many of the regions that Phoenicia Specialty Foods specializes in, such as Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Sample Phoenicia’s wide range of savory and sweet holiday brunch fare, including chicken shawarma breakfast wraps, spiced hash browns, pomegranate glazed salmon, crab quiche and warm cranberry coffee cake. A full list of the offerings is on the Phoenicia Specialty Foods web site.

Keep up with the latest updates on YUMMY! Wonderland 2016 and connect with Phoenicia Specialty Foods on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. On Facebook, you can also let friends know you’re attending (and invite them to come along) at the event page. Use hashtag #YUMMYWonderland to post updates and see what others are saying about this great event.

Make reservations online for the YUMMY! Wonderland International Festival and Brunch while space is still available!

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Houston Food Finder thanks its valued sponsor, Phoenicia Specialty Foods,
for its support and encourages readers to attend this wonderful, free holiday event!

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.