Greek Fest returns to Victoria for first full event since pandemic
Opa! The annual Greek Fest is returning to Victoria for its first full event since 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Admission to the festival is free, and there will be live dancing, music, cultural tours, and of course food.
The festival is located at the Greek Community Centre at 4648 Elk Lake Dr., beside Commonwealth Place, and will run over two weekends – from Aug. 26 to Aug. 28, and from Sept. 2 to Sept. 5.
One of the returning highlights for Greek Fest is its food, which can be ordered on the grounds or online for pickup.
"Just like previous years, Greek Fest is proud to feature authentically roasted lamb, prepared according to Greek tradition… as well as souvlaki, spanakopita, baklava, loukoumades and much more," said the festival in a release last week.
The Greek Community Centre in Victoria is shown. (CTV News)
Historians will also be hosting tours of the Greek Heritage Museum, which delve into some of the impacts that Greek people have had on Vancouver Island.
Exhibits include the stories of Ioannis Focas, who organizers say was the first Greek person to arrive in B.C. in 1592, and a Greek sailor named Kapiotis who came to Fort Victoria in the 19th Century and married a member of the Songhees First Nation.
The museum also covers more recent accounts of what the Greek immigrant experience was like in B.C.
Organizers say Greek Fest is taking place rain or shine, with tents being set up in case of wet weather.
More than 18,000 people came to last year's Greek Fest, organizers say, and the group hopes to beat that total this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.