Learning has potential to be fun, especially when food is involved. From October 1 through 4, the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Thomas in Cherry Hill, New Jersey hosted their annual “Agora Greek and Food Festival” for the community to experience Greek culture. The church gave attendees a taste of their cultural music, comedy and vast variety of great authentic Greek foods such as: souvlakia, moussaka and baklava.
On Thursday, October 1 at 7 p.m., the festival started off when comedians Jim Dailakis, the “Greek from Down Under”, and Jimmy Santis, the “Greek from Above”, presented: It’s All Greek to Me in English. Dailakis, an Australian actor/writer/comedian/voiceover artist, has performed at the Laugh Factory in NYC and has worked with the likes of Jerry Seinfeld and Larry the Cable guy. Santis, singer/songwriter, is known for his show: Super Greek, which he performs at various clubs and churches. His albums have been rated in the top ten for America’s largest GMV (Greek music retailer) for the past five years. Following the comedy act was the Greek American Idol.
The schedule for the weekend consisted of music, dancing, and delicious food. On Friday night, October 2, people who attended the event danced all night long at the Acropolis dance party, which featured songs from over twenty superstars from Greece by the best DJs and live bands. Saturday, October 3, showcased the national instrument of Greece, the Bouzouki. The following day, at the end of the culture-filled festival, people from the community went to “The Kefi Greek Music Festival”. Happy hour, which lasted from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m., offered authentic Greek foods and drinks followed by singing and dancing with Greek DJs.
The Agora Greek Festival also contained a raffle, which will enable the winner to experience the real Greek experience: a trip to Greece. The festival also contained: Zeus kid’s zone/arcade with rides and games, Yia Yia’s kitchen with genuine Greek foods and pastries, the Saturday Greek/Wine/Spirit festival, lunch every day at noon and free entrance to the grounds as well as free parking.
Functioning as a way for the community to understand a different culture, the Agora Greek and Food Festival was a great opportunity for people to observe and to learn about the culture of Greece. On that note, Opa!