San Juan Capistrano Greek Festival

San Juan Capistrano Greek Festival
By Monique Reilly

The 2nd Annual Greek Festival returns to San Juan Capistrano on Saturday and Sunday, September 27th and 28th. Sponsored by Saint Basil Greek Orthodox Church, the festival offers guests authentic Greek cuisine, live music, traditional Greek dancing, specialty shopping at the Greek 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) which are the perfect complement to a tasty Greek coffee or iced frappé. A taverna, equipped with big screen TVs for a sports bar twist, allows patrons to enjoy Greek beer, wine and ouzo, alongside their domestic favorites.

The Greeks have a word for the spirit of joy, fun and a passion for life – known as “kefi!” Participants are encouraged to dance to live Greek music, and with a few simple lessons will be expressing their kefi with shouts of “Opa!” In addition, the Saint Basil dance troupe will perform traditional dances in costume representing different areas of Greece.

This year’s exhibits will showcase costumed dolls from the many regions of Greece as well as an olive oil tasting and cooking class with 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 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 event, please visit SJCGreekFest.org.