Traditional Mediterranean cuisine, music, dance come to Columbia
The 27th annual Greek Festival, sponsored by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, brought Greek food, dance, and culture to the corner of Sumter and Calhoun streets this weekend, transforming it into a full-fledged Greek village.
Patrons were able to taste a variety of Greek fare at the outside food tents. Local vendors touted authentic eats like souvlaki, which are marinated pork skewers, roasted potatoes and gyros. Inside the main building, the food choices became more elaborate with plates of chicken and lemon-spiced pastas, Greek meatballs, and roasted lamb. Lines stretched across the recreation center as visitors waited to try the delicious Greek pastries. Guests could choose from many of the sweet treats like baklava, kataifi, or koulourakia — among others.
After getting their fill, guests could watch dance teams perform traditional Greek folk dances. Members of the award-winning dance team performed traditional square dances in handmade costumes. The dancers were accompanied by live Greek music played by two authentic Greek bands. Festival attendees were invited to join in the dances for a few songs.
Other performances included “Fun and Fables with AESOP,” a live performance of famous fairytales put on by the Patchwork Players Theater Company. The Warriors of Greece, a group of history re-enactors wearing warrior garb of the Spartan troops of 5th century BC, were also on hand for pictures and stories of the real 300 Spartans who inspired the movie “300.”
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church also opened its doors and allowed self-guided tours through the beautiful sanctuary. The newly completed sanctuary featured many iconographic paintings and a beautiful, hand-painted dome ceiling. Elders of the church offered insight into the Orthodox faith and how the heritage shown in the festival is integral to being Greek Orthodox.
“Greeks are always celebrating life by sharing their passions with others,” fourth-year international business, marketing and management student Alexis Faller said. “Oftentimes that passion translates into large family gatherings with a lot of homemade food and music. The Greek Festival is simply a celebration of our culture, and a great way to share that culture with others.”
Faller, who is a member of Holy Trinity, attended the festival with her parents, who came from Kentucky specifically for the festival.
Her favorite part of the festival was the handmade craft fair, which featured jewelry, clothes, bowls, scarves and religious iconography. Most of the goods were handmade in Greece and brought over specifically for the festival.
“The whole atmosphere of the event is really something to be admired,” said Faller, who has attended more than 20 Greek festivals in her life, in addition to visiting Greece. According to Faller, the festival “gets everything right,” from the authentic gyros and spanakopeta to the dancing to the artisanal goods.