For her business Treats by Fari, 16-year-old Loganville resident Fariha (aka Fari) bakes brownies, cookies, birthday cakes and cupcakes, and other sweet treats. Her sister, pictured, said Fari also sells her crocheted creations—combining two passions in one business. Photo credit: Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow.
On Saturday, more than 50 vendors—from chefs to artists to jewelry makers—flocked to Atlantic Station for the first-ever Atlanta Summer Halal Food Festival, celebrating the variety of cultures that call the Atlanta area home. 285 South was there, too, getting to know some of the artisans and entrepreneurs who were keeping their spirits up on a very hot summer day.
Atlanta Boba Cart specializes in boba tea, lemonades, shaved ice, and slushies. Owner Mina Fatima, originally from Pakistan, stood in front of the booth to invite customers—including 285 South—to try her drinks. Photo credit: Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow. Shawn’s recently launched business PaanWalaa specializes in paan ice cream, a traditional Indian dessert combining betel leaf and flavors like rose jam, cardamom, and tutti frutti. Photo credit: Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow. Uzbek restaurant Laghman Express, recently profiled in 285 South, offered a variety of kebabs as well as Uzbekistan’s national dish, plov—a spiced rice pilaf packed with lamb or beef and veggies. Photo credit: Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow.Duluth cafe Wowbooza, which specializes in chewy Mediterranean-style ice cream, was featured last year in 285 South. Its booth at the festival offered booza in strawberry, pineapple, chocolate, lemon, and plain mastic flavors. Photo credit: Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow. Roswell-based 967 Coffee Co. served Adeni chai, Yemeni lemonade, and mango and dragon fruit “refreshers.” Photo credit: Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow. Roswell Indian restaurant Rasoi Fusion brought dishes such as chicken biryani, Indian-Chinese hakka noodles, chicken 65, and samosas. Photo credit: Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow. Georgia-based nonprofit Palistory is dedicated to spreading awareness about Palestinian history, identity, and culture through filmmaking; at the festival, the organization was selling bracelets and keffiyehs to raise money for Gaza. Photo credit: Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow.
Gabriela Henriquez Stoikow is a bilingual journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia, covering local news, immigration, and healthcare.
She has previously worked at The Miami Herald, CNN, and Miami Today News, and her work has been featured at the Atlanta Business Chronicle, WABE, Rough Draft, and Documented NY. In Venezuela, she worked at the investigative journalism outlets RunRun.es and Armando.info, covering politics, human rights, and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gabriela won the Atlanta Press Club’s Rising Star Award in 2025.
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