“In the Life” heads to the Greek Food Festival

Words and Photos by Jandee Weninger

You could hang out inside or outside and eat delicious food. On the lawn were the gyros and the fried calamari and shrimp; inside there were desserts, Greek coffee, spanikopita, moussaka, Greek stuffed peppers, Athenian chicken, stuffed grape leaves and much more. Dominick sold his wares just outside the entrance. This cheerful and colorful guy had a vast assortment of purses, jewelry and scarves.

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After browsing through some literature on the mission work St. Nicholas members do, I was offered a tour of the inside of the cathedral. The photos I took do no justice to the majestic beauty and overwhelming power of the ornate artwork that fill the walls, ceilings and altar.

I stuffed myself full of moussaka and spanikopita and loukoumades, topped it all off with a coffee, and waited for the dancing to begin! The Dancing Papoutsia, a group of young ladies and young men of the church, skillfully performed some traditional Greek dances that embody the spirit of their culture. One of the dances they performed was called Mihanikos, which brings together the past and present.  An old man, crippled by his past, has difficulty dancing as he did in his youth. When the music quickens, he is transformed to his younger self and can dance as he did when he was young.  As the music slows it brings him back to the present, forcing him to wobble and fall again.

So much to take in! I had an amazing time. Keep an eye out for this event in the future!

Where should I go next? Email me at [email protected] with suggestions.