On Saturday January 4, the dancers, youth, committee and members of Panagia Soumela Melbourne took to Rye Foreshore Reserve to present their first ever Akrothalassa.
There were beach goers, locals and plenty of people from Melbourne who headed down for an array of gyros, loukoumades, frappes and drinks.
It was a day full of live music, performances and dancing for a celebration of Pontian culture.
“We are so proud of our team who worked so hard to get this event organised and to keep it running, and we are so grateful to everyone who came down to show their support,” Olga Antoniadis from the organisation said.
The event also saw the launch of their cookbook ‘My Pontian Kitchen’, a project the women of the community and club members have been working on for the past five years.
It is a Pontian cookbook written in English, detailing over 70 recipes that have been passed down from generations.
President of Panagia Soumela Melbourne Kosta Xanthopoulos thanked all who attended and supported Akrothalassa.
In particular he acknowledged the youth and the members of the club.
“We plan to do this event every year and our club is always open to anyone who wants to learn about Pontian tradition and history,” he said.
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