Spring sprung a week early as the Northcote Festival at the Holy Monastery of Axion Estin returned for its second year, transforming the church grounds into a lively celebration of culture, faith and community.

From camel rides and carnival fun to a bustling petting zoo, colourful stalls, exhibition stands, food and traditional dancing, the day offered something for everyone.

“It’s a beautiful day today,” Father Phillip Papagiannopoulos told The Greek Herald. Having served as priest since August 2023, he feels blessed to conduct this festival with the support of the Archbishop and Bishop. “This year we have 37 stalls booked, and last year we had just ten.”

The expanded program reflected the festival’s growing popularity, with Pontians, Macedonians and Cretans joining multicultural dance troupes representing Bulgaria, Albania, Ukraine and Assyria.

Father Phillip himself had no qualms joining the dance, twirling energetically as the crowd cheered on his impromptu performance with the Florina Aristotelis troupe.

“When a person sees joy in our parish, through our traditions, including dances, they will come a little closer. And we are very lucky at our festival today, because there is a lot of joy,” he said.

Assyrian dancer Freydun Sliwo, member of the Ashur Folkloric Ensemble, explained: “We are here to participate in the festival, showcase our culture and see other cultures too. The connection between Greeks and Assyrians goes back 3,000 years: our religion, music, dance and food are similar. What brings us together are family values, faith, culture and tradition.”

The festival also created space for younger voices – and succession planning for NUGAS.

“We have our promotions up of course, but that’s not the only reason why we are here,” Jamie Gallos, co-president of NUGAS, said. “Something as simple as being here sparks conversations. People come and tell us their kids were NUGAS members in the 80s. Parents bring their kids, not yet at uni, and they learn about us and may be interested in joining someday.”

Albanian student Konstandinos Peroli, born in Livadia and now in Australia for his studies, said the day highlighted what multiculturalism is all about. “I like the mix of cultures that you see here,” he said. “I feel both Albanian and Greek, and keep both cultures.”

The event relied on a small army of volunteers.

Anesti Anestis, principal at Bundoora Secondary College, long-time parishioner and church psalter, described the effort: “It was a very ambitious project bringing all cultures together. After last year’s teething problems, this year is bigger and better. Planning started a couple of months ago, and there was a lot to do, but many hands make light work. I’d say we have close to 60–90 volunteers today. My wife is volunteering, my children too.”

Meanwhile, stalls brimmed with home-made delicacies. Androulla Aristidou, from Cyprus, brought 20 boxes of her spoon sweets that were quickly snapped up.

Louisa Tsourdalakis and her family showcased traditional Greek-style plate-breaking plates, safe versions designed in lockdown and crafted at home. Harry Klapsinos broke one over his head to demonstrate exactly how safe it can be.

For many, the highlight was seeing the community come together.

Councillor Emily Dimitriadis reflected: “This festival is important because it celebrates our Greek culture with music, dancing and food. It brings generations together in the grounds of the church as well as people from all backgrounds. Having grown up in the area, it was amazing to see so many familiar faces coming together to celebrate our Hellenic culture. It was wonderful to catch up with many old school friends, work colleagues and relatives who I hadn’t seen for some time.”

The Northcote Festival culminated with more dancing around a bonfire late into the night. With its blend of tradition and diversity, it proved once again that culture is best celebrated in the company of neighbours, friends and family, from the bright morning sun to the starry sky.