The Bellarine Peninsula is set to come alive with music, food and dancing as Portarlington hosts its first-ever Greek Festival on Sunday 2 November, coinciding with the Melbourne Cup long weekend.
The initiative is the brainchild of Alexandra Dascarellos, who says the festival is dedicated to her late father Nicholas and her mother, both from Patra, Greece.
“This is my dream come true. It took three months to secure approval from Bellarine Bayside, but we’re finally bringing a Greek festival to Portarlington,” she told Neos Kosmos.
“I am dedicating it to my parents, and especially my father Nicholas, who taught his eight children Greek language and dance at home, often breaking my mother’s plates in the process!”
Running from 10am to 5pm at W. G. Little Reserve and the Seniors Community & Parks Hall on Newcombe Street, the festival promises to unite locals and visitors with a vibrant program of music, dance, food and cultural experiences.
Headline acts include Anagenisi, one of Melbourne’s most popular Greek bands, and a live broadcast by Greek radio station 3XY from the festival grounds. Dancers, including traditional performers and belly dancers, will take to the stage throughout the day, while children’s activities, cooking segments and cultural displays are also planned.
Food stalls will feature Greek classics alongside ouzo from Danny Doy Distillery, with wine, beer and handmade goods by market stallholders adding to the mix.
Festival organiser Alexandra Dascarellos said she wants everyone to feel part of the day.
“As people say, there’s no better place for a Greek festival than in Portarlington.”
“It’s about uniting us all, because at the moment the world is full of misery. Everyone I’ve spoken to said they’re coming, they want a bit of respite and enlightenment in their life,” she said.
Dascarellos, who also runs the local makers’ markets, said the success of those events helped inspire her to establish a dedicated Greek festival.
“Australia is a mix of cultures and I thought, ‘Why can’t we bring it to the Bellarine?’ We desperately need more cultural events. We need to celebrate people’s culture, to break down ignorance… we need more acceptance and tolerance of everyone’s culture in this world.”
The festival site sits across the road from the historic Portarlington Grand Hotel and within walking distance of the Portarlington ferry terminal, providing easy access from Melbourne. Organisers are working on accessibility measures, amenities and wet-weather contingencies. Entry is free, though donations are welcome to cover expenses, with Dascarellos hoping to also contribute funds to victims of recent bushfires in Greece.
She hopes the event will become an annual fixture on the Bellarine calendar.
“This festival is about celebrating our Greek-Australian culture while keeping it open and welcoming to everyone. It’s about unity, heritage and pride — but also about giving something back to the local community and traders. The world needs more cultural festivals to remind us that we are one.”
