The Estia Greek Festival has marked a major milestone in Hobart, celebrating 30 years of community effort following a highly successful opening Street Festival weekend that brought together the Tasmanian Greek community and visitors from across the state.
This year’s anniversary edition saw record demand, with food orders doubling compared to the previous year. Volunteers responded by working late into Saturday night and returning early on Sunday morning to prepare additional food, ensuring festival-goers were catered for across the weekend.
Volunteer involvement has remained at the heart of Estia for more than three decades, with generations of community members contributing year after year to deliver an event that continues to be a point of pride for the Greek Community of Tasmania.
Federal Street came alive on Sunday with performances by the Hellenic Dancers, featuring junior, intermediate and adult groups. The performances provided an opportunity for dancers to showcase their work publicly and served as valuable preparation ahead of their upcoming appearance at the Antipodes Festival later this month.
Festival favourites proved popular throughout the weekend, with long queues forming for gyros, loukoumades, Greek sweets and BBQ octopus. For many attendees, the wait was part of the experience, offering time to reconnect with friends and community members.
President of the Greek Community of Tasmania, Manoli Kalimnios, said the festival’s success reflected the strength and commitment of the community behind it.
“Reaching 30 years is a significant milestone, and one that belongs to our community. Our volunteers worked tirelessly across the weekend, and their commitment is a reminder that Estia continues because people care deeply about keeping it alive,” he said.
Festival Coordinator Alanah Duggan said the weekend captured the spirit that has sustained Estia over three decades.
“Estia is something the community takes pride in. People come together to make it happen, but just as importantly to reconnect. When you hear ‘see you next Estia’ at the end of the weekend, you know the festival is doing what it’s meant to do,” she said.
While the Street Festival has concluded, the 30th Estia Greek Festival program continues with a screening of Roza of Smyrna on 6 February, a lecture on Aristotle delivered by Dr Graeme Miles on 11 February, and a Taverna Night on 14 February.
