Being the longest running Greek festival is no easy feat but for a weekend that saw between 50 to 60,000 people walk through the doors was exceptional. The Brisbane Greek festival showed Australia on the weekend just why and how they have survived 35 successful years.
The two-day spectacular – which began Saturday, and concluded Sunday night – showcased plenty of traditional Greek dancing groups, bouzouki players and all the Greek food you can poke a stick at. In fact, it is reported that over 4 million loukoumathes have been sold at this annual event. The Greek club and church opened their doors for the festival with a Byzantine choir from Adelaide performing in the church. Along with public lectures, a children’s play area and face painting there were also fireworks at night.
“We spread Hellenism, it’s not just for Greeks, it’s become very diverse,” Chris Kazonis told Neos Kosmos.
Andrew Tambakis, who has been involved in the festival since its inception said it has evolved markedly over the years. “It’s the biggest two-day Greek festival in Australia and around 80 per cent of the people attending are non-Greeks,” Mr Tambakis said. “There’s only 20,000 Greeks in Brisbane and we get around 60,000 or 70,000 people coming along over the weekend.”
