Photo by: Nyah Abdala
Tallahassee residents got the chance to indulge in the Greek culture this weekend at the Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church. The Greek Festival brought out hundreds of people, from all different age groups. It was the place to be for a family outing.
Greek dancers pranced around the park, holding hands, and local greek vendors traveled to sell and showcase their crafts and food.
People stood in long lines waiting to have a taste of the authentic greek food; such as vegetable lasagnas and gyros.
Thomas Schill attended the festival last year and said that he really looks forward to the food.
“The last time I came the food was amazing, so this time around it was all I could think about,” Schills said. “The vibe out here is pretty great, especially for families because there are so many different vendors selling greek inspired crafts; you learn a lot.”
There were vendors face painting, selling jewelry and greek clothing, and some making greek crafts from scratch.
Katherine Vasiliades, the president of Greek By Design in Nashville, said she is the Greek Festival goddess.
“I am the Greek Festival goddess, from Nashville, Tenn.,” Vasiliades said. “Our booth is called Greek by Design. We import from the country of Greece, our religious items are from the monasteries in Mount Athos, our clothing vendors are from Athens, everything is handmade from Greece, with the exception of a few things that I have made.”
Vasiliades and other vendors showcased all their unique pieces, and were excited to be a part of the experience.
Sharon Grimes was one of those vendors that were excited about the festival and showcasing her craft. Grimes had a tent set up for her Body Art Fusion business, where she did face painting, henna tattoos and body painting.
Grimes said she has been attending this particular greek festivals for six years now.
“I fell in love with this particular event, the food is so good here and the business is really great,” Grimes said. “I have to say Tallahassee’s Greek Festival is the best hands down that I have been in the state of Florida, I’ve been coming here for about 6 years now.”
For those who missed the festival this year, it is held annually in October. For more information, call 850-878-0747 or go to http://www.hmog.org/festival.