Greek dancers perform at the Parthenon Stage at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church on Friday night. Attendees were also allowed to join in on a traditional dancing lesson shortly afterwards. The festival ran from Friday, Aug. 22 through Sunday, Aug. 24.
Over 30,000 people from across the Central Valley gathered at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church over the weekend for the 54th annual Fresno California Greek Fest, one of the largest social and cultural gatherings in the area.
The event, which took place on the grounds outside of the church, was filled with traditional Greek foods, wine, dancing, shops and other amenities, as well as numerous games and activities for families and children.
Event Coordinator Peterangelo Vallis attributes the importance of the Greek tradition of hospitality to the success of the event.
“A big part of our cultural heritage is to host people and be hospitable,” Vallis said, “And we have a Greek phrase for that: ‘filos tou xenou’ or friend of the stranger, which is a huge part that we love to share. It’s a great way for us to instill our culture on to the next generation as well.”
Vallis also commented on the authenticity of the festival, saying that it was “a pretty good approximation of what it’s like going to Greece, with a kind of a great all-around party atmosphere.”
Vision Cloud, a gold panner and educator from Coarsegold, Calif. has been working with the children’s section of the event since 2008. He has watched it grow from 8,000 people to the 30,000 attendees today.
“By doing what they’ve done, Greek Fest has grown so fantastically in the last six years. I don’t know if they want to become number one in the United States, but we’re going to help them get there,” Cloud said. “The festival brings not just Greek Orthodox people together, it brings families together from all faiths.”
Greek Fest also relies on large amounts of community service and volunteers, including several Fresno State students and the Fresno State Enology Club, which runs the wine tasting section of the event.
“Over 70 percent of our volunteers are not members of the Greek community,” Vallis said. “It is humbling really how many people help our festival for no other reason other than that they enjoy themselves.”
What started as a simple fundraising lunch after a church service in 1960, Greek Fest has continued to expand to its cultural and social prominence throughout the valley.
“You could call it a church fundraiser, but it really is a Fresno tradition that the city of Fresno has really embraced, and we’re just happy to host,” Vallis said. Booths from Los Angeles to
Greece featured a plethora of activities for multiple interests from baklava to wine tasting to shopping for Greek products throughout the event.
“It’s a fun environment with lots of people,” said Fresno State Alumnus Shireen Emrsny. “It’s definitely worth checking out.”