GREEK FESTIVAL SET FOR FRIDAY AT ST. DEMETRIOS.Byline: Eric Leach Staff Writer CAMARILLO - Ventura County's 27th annual Greek Festival A Greek festival or Greek Fest is an annual celebration of Greek culture presented by many ethnic Greek-American communities and organization in the United States and Canada, particularly Greek Orthodox churches. opens Friday at St. Demetrios Orthodox Church, with dancing and special foods offered throughout the three-day event three-day event a competition in the pleasure horse sport comprising usually one day each for dressage, cross country and show jumping. . The festival's hospitality attracts thousands of people from surrounding communities, including Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. Everyone is welcome to join the open dancing to live bands, although there will be special dance performances as well, along with Greek arts and crafts booths, a myriad of food booths and tours of the church. On Saturday morning, there will be a the 5K, 10K and mile runs beginning with registration at 7 a.m. to raise funds for Food Share, a Ventura County food bank for the needy. ``It's something the whole family can enjoy,'' said Christo Pulos of Port Hueneme, who has been attending the festival for about 15 years and chairing the event for the past six years. ``We're hoping to break a record in attendance if the weather cooperates. We typically draw between 6,000 and 7,000, but this year we hope to have between 7,000 and 8,000.'' The theme of the festival this year is ``The Fun Begins.'' The Ventura County Board of Supervisors The examples and perspective in this article or section may represent an unduly geographically limited view of the subject. Please [ improve this article] or discuss the issue on the talk page. The Board of Supervisors is the body governing counties in the U.S. is declaring this week as Greek Heritage Week. Pulos said the funds raised from the festival will go toward building a new church for the St. Demetrios parish on property the church has acquired at Santa Rosa and Woodcreek roads. The church, now at 400 Skyway sky·way n. 1. A route regularly used by airplanes; an air lane. 2. An elevated highway. Noun 1. skyway - a designated route followed by airplanes in flying from one airport to another Drive in Camarillo, next to Camarillo Airport, is named after Saint Demetrios, who was born in Salonica, Greece, about 270 A.D. The parish consists of about 150 Orthodox families and is the only Greek Orthodox Church Greek Orthodox Church Independent Eastern Orthodox church of Greece. The term is sometimes used erroneously for Eastern Orthodoxy in general. It remained under the patriarch of Constantinople until 1833, when it became independent. in Ventura County. ``We're hoping to start building a new church in a couple of years,'' said Pulos. He said in addition to raising money, the festival helps make the Greek community more cohesive. ``It brings the parish together, and it also introduces the surrounding community to Greek culture.'' Parish priest Father Gary Kyriacou arrived just last year at St. Demetrios and is not familiar with the unique aspects of Ventura County's festival, but he said Greek festivals in general provide an excellent exposure to the culture that embraces life. ``The reason why Greek festivals are so huge is because they really do give a sense of what it is like to be Greek, especially in America,'' he said. ``It's much easier to drive over here than go to Greece. The food is authentic, made in the kitchens of Greek women. There'll be Greek dancing, and they've even got a baklava Sunday. It's something different, something special. There is an energy in the air.'' There will be food booths offering Greek pastries, including baklava, saragli, kataifi, galataboureko, kourambiethes and koulourakia. There will be gyros This article is about the food dish. For other uses, see Gyro. Gyros or gyro (Greek: γύρος, "turning") (IPA: [ˈjɪːɹəʊ] pita bread sandwiches, loukoumathes (light pastry puffs, drenched in honey and cinnamon), loukanico (a unique Greek sausage) and tyropita, a baked cheese dish. There will also be Greek appetizers, including flaming cheese wedges and stuffed grape leaves Noun 1. stuffed grape leaves - well-seasoned rice (with nuts or currants or minced lamb) simmered or braised in stock dolmas dish - a particular item of prepared food; "she prepared a special dish for dinner" . Full dinners include either lamb, a souvlakia Noun 1. souvlakia - made of lamb souvlaki kabob, kebab, shish kebab - cubes of meat marinated and cooked on a skewer usually with vegetables (pork kabob), chicken or pastichio (a casserole dish with layers of noodles noo·dle 1 n. A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dried dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water. [German Nudel. , beef and bechamel Bech´a`mel n. 1. (Cookery) A rich, white sauce, prepared with butter and cream. Noun 1. bechamel - milk thickened with a butter and flour roux bechamel sauce, white sauce cream topping). Eric Leach, (805) 583-7602 eric.leach(at)dailynews.com IF YOU GO The St. Demetrios Greek Festival runs from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m Sunday. Admission is $2, and children under 12 are free. From the Ventura Freeway, exit at Las Posas Road in Camarillo, go south and turn right at Pleasant Valley Road, right on Airport Way, and make an immediate left on Skyway Drive to festival parking. For information, call (805) 482-1273 or go to saintdem.org. CAPTION(S): box Box: IF YOU GO (see text) |
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