Dreaming of a vacation in the Greek Islands sipping ouzo
at a tavern as you overlook the turquoise blue seas and
listening to Greek music playing? Fulfill a little piece
of that dream for a weekend in Pensacola.
The
three-day Greek Festival offers the Pensacola community
a little taste of Greece in our own backyard.
Join the Pensacola Greeks on October 14 - 16, 2011 in
downtown Pensacola for the 52nd Greek Festival. Eat,
drink, dance and savor a taste of Greek culture.
This 3 day event is one of Pensacola's favorite
festivals. It draws
upwards of 30,000 people from across the Southeast. Festival
hours are 11:00 am to 10:00 pm on Friday and Saturday
and from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm on Sunday. Admission is
always free.
Please note that we won't be holding the Festival
5K race that we had previously announced. Maybe next
year.
Live Greek music and traditional folk dancing will be
among the entertainment highlights of the weekend.
Youth dancers dressed in traditional costumes
representing various regions of Greece will perform
dance sets throughout the weekend. Our "alumni" dance
group - college students and young adults will perform
throughout the weekend as well. Free dance lessons will
also be offered. The Alpha Omega Sound band from Atlanta will
play traditional and modern Greek music throughout the
weekend.
Savor traditional foods from the dinner line such as roast lamb,
baked chicken, dolmades, mousaka, pastitsio, spanakopita,
tiropita, and Greek salads. The outdoor taverna
will feature the popular gyros, souvlakia (kabobs),
sausage sandwiches, chicken tenders for the kids, Greek
fries cooked in olive oil, and of course calamari. As
always, a variety of homemade pastries and cookies will
be sold to eat-in or take home.
The Greek Gift Booth offers imported gift items such
as authentic jewelry, cookbooks, t-shirts, and other
popular items. The
gift booth will be selling vintage linens and hand
embroidered linens donated by the women of the church.
The Greek coffee was a big hit last year and will be
back in the Gift Booth area.
Church tours are offered throughout the weekend for
visitors to see the architectural
design and beauty inside a traditional Greek Orthodox church. These
tours include a brief history of the Orthodox faith and
Byzantine hymns sung by the church choir.
Each year a portion of the festival proceeds is
donated to a local charitable organization. This year
we will support United Ministries of Pensacola
with a financial donation.
Also we
will have a food drive for Manna Food Bank so please bring
non-perishable items to help support this worthy cause.
Their food supply is very low and demand is much higher
than normal.
Many of the signature food dishes are prepared by the
parishioners. Volunteers are needed to help with food preparations,
with setup on the weekends prior to the festival and
throughout the festival weekend. A schedule of work days
is posted on the festival website. Volunteers can
receive festival news updates by subscribing
to our newsletter on our website.
To stay up to date on the latest news about the Greek
festival:
-
Visit the festival
website
- Subscribe to our newsletter on the
website.
- Become a Fan on
Facebook
Presale tickets will be available in denominations of $5
each from the church office or any parishioner. These
tickets make great gifts for friends or clients
and can be used in lieu of cash at every booth. Tickets can be also be purchased onsite for those using
debit or credit cards. Cash and checks are accepted at
all registers. Admission is free and these tickets are
not required.
Advertising opportunities are available for
businesses who want to reach upwards of 30,000
attendees. For information please contact media and
publicity chair Maria Weisnicht (gogreek@pensacolagreekfestival.com)
or call the church office at 850-433-2662.
Greeks everywhere are very hospitable people. They
take pride in sharing their food, their language and
their homes. The Greek word for that hospitality is
philoxenia - friend to strangers. Come and enjoy
the hospitality of the Pensacola Greeks. You might enjoy
it so much that you'll plan a trip to the real Greek
Islands!
