Astoria will host the 40th annual Zlatne Uste Golden Festival on January 16 and 17, bringing together more than 2,000 attendees for a two-day celebration of Balkan cultures through music, dance and food.
The festival will take place at The Marquee Astoria on Astoria Boulevard and will feature more than 50 bands and over 15 exhibitors, according to information reported by The National Herald.
Festival program director and Zlatne Uste band leader Michael Ginsburg reflected on the event’s significance, saying that despite global challenges, “thousands of people come together in the middle of winter, sharing love for music and dance and respect for a remarkable range of cultures.” He added, “Every year we walk away energized by the joy the festival inspires, and today it feels more important than ever.”
The festival includes the Charshiya Balkan Marketplace, named after the Ottoman-era market district known as Carsi, where artisans sell handmade and imported products inspired by cultures across the Balkans and beyond. Greek exhibitors will also participate, offering products and flavors from Greece.
Among the exhibitors is Christine Curtis, owner of My Komboloi, that sells handmade komboloi made from natural materials and semi-precious stones. Curtis said she first attended Golden Fest in 2024 and described it as “such a fantastic event that I could not wait to be a part of it again.” She added that the festival allows people to engage across cultures through music, food and the marketplace, saying, “Everyone can thoughtfully engage with one another and share aspects of their memories of specific items and music.”
The festival will also showcase Greek wines, spirits and foods as part of an international mezze buffet, with contributions from multiple Greek food producers and importers.
A media release from Golden Fest described the event as “one of the country’s most wide-ranging and inclusive world music festivals,” noting that the lineup spans traditions including Klezmer, Middle Eastern, Ukrainian and Scandinavian music.
Friday’s program will feature Pontic music and dance, including performances by Dimitris Stefanidis and Jerry Kisslinger, as well as the Kavala Brass Band performing music from northern Greece. Saturday’s performances will include Greek and Asia Minor music by several groups and artists, including Ta Pedia Tis Polis and Rembetiko Without Borders.
Tommy Kavounidis, bouzouki player for Ta Pedia Tis Polis, said performing at the festival for a second year feels different from a typical Greek festival. “It’s not a performance in the usual setting either,” he said. “We have a very time-limited 30-minute set, and that really pushes us to be intentional with our song choices and execution.”
Kavounidis added that representing Greek music at the multicultural festival carries deeper meaning. “Golden Fest brings together musicians and artists from many backgrounds, and that creates a real cultural exchange,” he said.
The festival will run from 7 p.m. to 12.30 a.m. on Friday, January 16, and from 5.30 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday, January 17. More information and tickets are available through the festival’s official website.
