it's all greek to me!

This weekend there are so many things to do that I hardly know where to start! With so much to squeeze in, it seems only appropriate that I kicked off my weekend a couple hours early (Hey, I'm working tomorrow!) with catch-up pedicures with J followed by a little poolside chatting with a couple other neighbors where we decided we'd all go check out the Greek Folk Festival, put on by St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. This annual event in Greektown (Ponca and Eastern) is in it's 3rd decade and going strong, and is one of the largest and longest running Hellenic events in the Mid-Atlantic. The aromas of delicious homemade traditional Greek fare wafted for blocks surrounding the festival, and the sounds of live music echoed out on to the street. As soon as we walked in, we saw the sources of each: before us, food was being prepared outdoors on griddles and assembly lines, such as spanikopita, mussaka, and gyros.

Using all of our self-control, we ventured further in to the festival, just in time to catch some young dancers showcasing their talents, while others prepared their costumes:

Right as our hunger got the better of us, an incredibly talented musical ensemble, Apollonia, took the stage and didn't let up for hours. Their talent is not to be missed, folks (unlike the guest performance by American Idol finalist, Constantine Maroulis, yesterday - we want local talent not hollywood washups!). The lilting tones of the female singers voice were perfectly complimented by traditional instruments, and got people on their feet and dancing. Here are some more pictures from the festival:

Besides the more well-known Greek food served, there were some more adventurous dishes, such as grilled octapus and fried spelt:


Yup, that is Joe eating a baklava ice cream sundae...so I can't undersand why he'd be making this face...

A taking Baby O off her parents' hands for a little while - so nice to have babies in our neighborhood (especially extra cute ones!)
The church was gorgeous inside - snapped this one without a flash so not great...but I love how the candles look anyways:

If you're interested in further history of the church or festival, check out the festival's website. The Greek Festival is open Saturday from 11-11, and Sunday from 12-10. This is a festival not to be missed; with delicious food to suit every palate, fun crafts, a beautiful church to tour, friendly staffing, and top-notch performers you won't be disappointed.

Tomorrow I'll be checking out HonFest 2009, so stay tuned for some fab photos of that!

love k