Victoria and Vancouver Island
Greek
Community Society
(non-for-profit
organization)
Greek
Summer Festival
10th Anniversary
August 30th to September 5th
WHAT: 10th ANNUAL GREEK FEST
GREEK FOOD, MUSIC, DANCING, CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES, ENTERTAINMENT FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
WHEN: AUGUST 30th to SEPTEMBER 5th, 2011
OPEN AT 11AM
WHERE: GREEK COMMUNITY CENTRE
4648 Elk Lake Drive, Victoria, BC
(Beside Commonwealth Place)
VICTORIA, BC - With fabulous food, exciting entertainment and joyful shouts of “Opa,” the 10th Annual Victoria Greek Fest will take place on Tuesday, August 30th, through Monday, September 5th, at the Greek Orthodox Church and Community Centre, 4648 Elk Lake Drive (beside Commonwealth Pool). ADMISSION IS FREE for the whole community!
Greek Fest 2011, in partnership with the Saanich Fire Department, will be raising funds throughout the festival for the HOT LUNCH PROGRAM this year, which provides food for needy school children in the Victoria area. Proceeds from Greek Fest 2011 will be directed towards this cause on behalf of the Saanich Fire Department and Greek Fest 2011. The festival is also a proud supporter of TOUR DE ROCK and will be donating a portion of proceeds from sales on Thursday September 1st 2011 to the COPS FOR CANCER TOUR DE ROCK/ CANADIAN CANCER SOCIETY. Please visit the festival and at the same time, support these very worthy causes!
The Festival is geared for the entire family, offering an array of authentic Greek food, deserts, baked goods, a Greek Deli, arts and crafts, continuous live music and folk dancing from many different cultures including Greek, Middle Eastern, European and others. More than 25 different groups will perform at the festival with one coming all the way from the Holly City of Mesologi in Greece. The entertainment will run continuously throughout the day. The food is also a very major focus to the festival featuring authentically roasted lamb prepared according to tradition (not to be missed!) as well as souvlaki, spanakopita, baklava, loukomades and much more. Bring your appetite!
Last year’s event drew over 30,000 Victorians to the celebration! We are expecting more this year RAIN OR SHINE under our HUGE tents! Fun for the whole family! In addition to our Community Day sponsoring the Hot Lunch Program, we are also featuring our first ever SENIOR’S DAY on Thursday September 1st, which will be a special day for seniors in the Victoria area to come and enjoy the festival while receiving a 10% discount on all food.
This year’s Greek Fest will also see a return of the Heritage Exhibit which will explore the history of Greece and Greeks in BC, with some very special attention paid to: a) seaman Juan De Fuca (Ioannis Focas – The first GREEK to BC in 1592; b) the Greek seaman Kapiotis who settled at Fort Victoria and married Marrie-Ann, the daughter of the then chief of the Songhees tribe and had several children. A granddaughter, Orsa, married John Douglas, grandchild to BC’s first governor Sir James Douglas; and c) the Greek fishing village that operated some 120 years ago at Johnson Street in Victoria. Come and learn these stories and a lot more about the contribution of Greeks to BC heritage.
Festivals have been a religious and cultural tradition of Greek society since Ancient times, primarily held to honour or receive favour from the gods or to celebrate the changing of the seasons, this ancient rite was characterized by music, dance, athletic competitions, wine, and of course, food. It was an excuse for the entire community to join and celebrate the ideals of family, friendship and philoxenia – generosity towards strangers. The most famous of the ancient festivals was the Olympic Games. And so we bring you GREEK FEST 2011 – an opportunity to share our Hellenic culture with our fellow Victorians. And when something works, why change it? So, this festival, too, is about music, dance, wine and food. But it’s also about coming together as friends, having a good time, and saying, “Efharisto” (Thank you) to Victorians for enabling us to continue supporting the development of our Community. And who knows? Maybe somewhere along the line, the gods will smile down on us too!
The hours of the Victoria Greek Summer Food Festival are Tuesday, August 30th, through Monday, September 5th, from 11 AM to 10 PM.
ADMISSION IS FREE. Our HUGE tent is set up so you can enjoy the festivities RAIN OR SHINE. For more information, call (250) 479-9391 or visit www.greekfest.ca. For more interviews or features please contact Mr. Michael Ikonomou at michaelikonomou@shaw.ca.
