Ottawa’s annual Greek Festival is set to return to the city for a virtual and an in-person celebration of Greek culture. Bill Kontogiannis, chairmen of Greek Fest, is thrilled to be able to welcome back locals to the event, even during this pandemic where event protocols are constantly changing. “Traditionally we put on our festival as more of a showcase of our food, of our dance, of our music and our different cultural aspects. With Covid, things have changed a bit, but that’s what the purpose of this festival is, to promote Greek culture in Canada,” he said.
This year, the event will be occurring both virtually and in person. Food from the event, which includes well known Greek favourites like Gyros, Souvlaki platters and Loukoumades will be available for takeout. For the first time ever, there will also be a souvenir shop where patrons can acquire Greek artifacts. The virtual portion of the festival is what will showcase Greek culture, through virtual dance lessons and cooking demonstrations. The importance of having a festival like Greek Fest in the city is something that Kontogiannis understands more than anyone. “My father used to say we have two homelands. Greece, which is where our heritage comes from and of course Canada where we live now. Having the Greek festival is a way to promote our culture amongst our Canadian brothers and sisters,” he said. Ottawa Greek Festival will be occurring on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from August 13th to August 22nd. Their in-person events will be held at 1315 Prince of Wales Drive. All event details including the event schedule and safety measures can be found on their website.
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