Oompa!
Fort Wayne is blessed with an abundance of cultures and people who love to celebrate cultural diversity. This is always evident at the annual Greek Fest, which will be held on June 25-28, 2015.
It is held in the Headwaters Park Pavilion in downtown Fort Wayne. Parking is close by and often free in the lots. On-street parking is paid in meters.
I love to hear the music as we’re walking toward the pavilion. It gets me excited before I even walk in! The shouting is loud and the crowd is boisterous, but it is nothing out of control. Kids and adults fill the seats in the pavilion. Greek Fest is a free, family event so families are encouraged to attend. There is even a Kids Korner for the little ones.
The rest of us we can sit and be fascinated by the bright colors of costumes worn by the young Greek dancers as they step through intricate Greek dances in unison.
When their toes tap, mine do too! I took several photos of the dancers, although I wish I had shot a video. As their bodies swayed and their shouting instructions and encouragement to each other (at least that’s what I thought they were saying!), it felt as though we were all somewhere far away from the US.
Some girls wore traditional head coverings, gold necklaces and short vests with long, full skirts. Others wore more formal-looking white costumes. The dancers are scheduled to perform their dances daily from 12:30 pm, 6pm, 8pm.
I’m sure those dancers treat themselves to the fancy array of desserts offered at the festival. I can only pronounce one – Baklava. This is a heavenly-sweet pastry made with delicate layers of filo crust, chopped walnuts, and honey.
The other desserts are on my to-eat list at this year’s festival, even if I can't pronounce them. I can point to them when ordering, can't I?
Non-dessert food is also available. Mousaka-- spicy ground beef with tomato sauce, eggplant and potato slices topped with cheese—is always delicious and filling. Soda is available as well as Greek beer.
The food is reasonably priced and delicious.
For those who feel they must account for every calorie, the Greek Fest Olympic 5k run/walk on Saturday, June 27, offers the chance to redeem themselves. The race will be held at 10 a.m. at Headwaters Park. This makes it convenient for attending the festival, which begins daily at 11 a.m.
The Fort Wayne Greek Festival is organized by members of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Fort Wayne. They put a lot of hours in cooking, preparing, and serving the visitors who attend to learn more about this culture that originated on the other side of the world. Thanks to them, we don't have to go far to learn about a culture that is thrilling, entertaining and yummy.
June 25th - 28th, 2015:
Thursday -- Saturday 11am -11pm
Sunday 11am - 5pm
