Greek kefi triumphs over rainy weather at Canberra’s Hellenic Festival

·

Canberra’s two-day Hellenic Festival at the Hellenic Club of Canberra was a hit over the weekend, with 3,500 people attending despite the weather trying to rain on their parade.

“People were dancing in the rain. It was awesome! Kefi always triumphs over the weather,” President of the Greek Orthodox Community and Church of Canberra, John Loukadellis, tells The Greek Herald.

On Saturday, people and organisations from different cultural backgrounds including Greek, Indian, Chinese, Colombian, Mexican, African, Serbian and Pacific Island nations, all came together to provide a multicultural feast.

Photos: The Hellenic Club of Canberra / Facebook.

ACT’s Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Tara Chayne, and President of the Hellenic Club of Canberra, Stef Pashalidis, also gave speeches recognising the importance of the multicultural event.

“We had set up a marquee and the Greek community had people cooking loukoumades, tiropites, octopus, frappedes, souvlakia, lamb on the spit… There were also dim sims, chicken rolls and Otai, which is a Tongan watermelon drink. It was just a great way to acknowledge the different multicultural backgrounds of Canberra,” Mr Loukadellis says.

Photos: The Hellenic Club of Canberra / Facebook.

This was followed by the ultimate Hellenic festival on Sunday, which was launched with a traditional ‘welcome to country,’ as well as a number of speeches from Mr Loukadellis, Ambassador of Greece to Australia, George Papacostas, and the High Commisioner of Cyprus, Mrs Martha Mavrommatis.

Attendees were invited to take part in a number of exciting games such as a plate-breaking competition, a zeibekiko dancing competition and even a yeeros and loukoumades eating competition. Performances from dancing groups, as well as Greek band, DEFI, also drew loud applause.

Left: Ambassador of Greece to Australia, George Papacostas, with John Loukadellis. Right: High Commissioner of Cyprus, Martha Mavrommatis, gave a speech. Photos: Facebook.

“I’d like to thank the contribution of Nick Manikas from ‘Fair Canberra,’ who organised the other cultures on the day and also the events manager from the Hellenic Club, Lisa Andonaros, for the exceptional work she put into making the festival a reality for all,” Mr Loukadellis says.

“It really was an awesome day. The event finished at 5pm but the party didn’t stop until 7pm!”

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Step into the world of mental health with Georgia Cassimatis’ latest book

Greek Australian author and journalist, Georgia Cassimatis, has released a book all about exploring the world of mental health.

GOCNSW Welfare Service to put a spotlight on cyber security awareness

The Greek Orthodox Community of NSW’s (GOCNSW) Welfare Service has organised three Cyber Security Awareness education and training workshops.

Marriage of a Greek woman abroad: What to watch out for

It is during this registration process that numerous problems arise, which are not dealt with immediately but later on.

Athena Competition Greek winners show olive oil diversity

By Lisa Radinovsky from Greek Liquid Gold. At the 10th anniversary edition of the ATHENA International Olive Oil Competition in Chania, Crete, Greece in May, 175 Greek olive oils...

Greece’s island communities face population crisis

The demographic decline in Greece is hitting its islands hard, with Lemnos and Agios Efstratios showing alarming signs of aging populations.

You May Also Like

Man arrested over Easey St cold case murders identified as Perry Kouroumblis

Perry Kouroumblis was arrested in Rome on Thursday evening in connection with the infamously unsolved Easey Street murders.

Maria Sakkari prepares to ‘win’ the Australian Open 2023

Maria Sakkari declared in an interview where she was representing Greece at the United Cup 2022, “I want to win the Australian Open!"

Greek government rejects plan to home deliver Holy Fire on Easter Saturday

The Greek government has put a halt to plans by several municipalities to deliver the Holy Fire to citizens' homes on Easter Saturday night.