San Juan Capistrano Greek Festival

 
San Juan Capistrano Greek Festival
September 25th – 27th

The three-day festival, sponsored by Saint Basil Greek Orthodox Church, returns to San Juan Capistrano on Friday, September 25 and runs through Sunday, September 27. Guests will enjoy authentic Greek cuisine, live Greek music, traditional Greek dancing, specialty shopping at the bazaar and kid-friendly activities.

The menu will feature various Greek delicacies including gyros, souvlaki, lamb chops, spanakopita and Greek salad, as well as delicious pastries like baklava and kourambiethes (powdered sugar butter cookies) to accompany a delicious Greek coffee or iced coffee frappe. The festival also offers a Taverna with a sports bar twist – equipped with big screen TVs where guests can enjoy domestic favorites as well as Greek beer, wine and ouzo.

The Greek word “Kefi” means the spirit of joy, fun and a passion for life. You will have the opportunity to experience this part of Greek culture at the festival as you dance to live music. Don’t worry; lessons are provided and within seconds you will be expressing your Kefi with shouts of “Opa!” The Saint Basil dance troupe will also perform traditional dances in costume representing different regions of Greece.

This year’s exhibits will showcase costumed dolls from the many areas of Greece as well as a chance to win some great raffle prizes. For those interested in art, iconographer Father Michael Courey will unveil and discuss two Byzantine icons to be used for Saint Basil’s Church. These icons were recently featured at the Getty Museum in Los Angeles as part of his lecture and demonstration.

Festival hours are 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking are free. Saint Basil’s Church is located at 27129 Calle Arroyo, near the 74 Ortega Highway exit in San Juan Capistrano.

For more information on the Greek Festival, please visit sjcgreekfest.org.