The Greek Festival returns to Santa Barbara on August 15 and 16 with promises of mouth-watering food as well as a $3,000 raffle prize. Presented by the Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, the event will be at Chase Palm Park, transforming it into a Mediterranean celebration.
Alongside live Greek music and dance performances by local dance groups, an array of foods are to be indulged in. The offerings include gyros, hummus and pita, loukoumades, spanakopita, Greek salad, baklava, souvlaki, saganaki, and pastitsio. Drinks include local draft beers, imported Greek beers, Greek wine tasting, and Loux imported Greek sodas. The band The 4 Greeks will be performing as well as DJ Pete Loukatos and several dancing groups.
Festival organizer Alice Matiosian shared that the goal of the Greek Festival is to “continue in sharing and celebrating Greek culture, food, and entertainment with the Central Coast and to raise money for Saint Barbara Greek Orthodox Church. As a nonprofit, 100 percent of the funds raised from the festival go back into the church to help with overhead and operation costs, and of course, help [them] continue to host the festival.”
Matiosian also shared that in Greek culture, “family is not defined by blood or heritage but by love, shared experiences, and a passion for good food, dancing, and family gatherings.” In Greek, the term parea means “friends who are like family,” and, according to Matiosian, “the Santa Barbara Greek Festival makes all who join in the festivities parea for the weekend.”
The Greek Festival originally started as a one-night fundraiser in 1956 in Ventura by the philanthropic group AHEPA (American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association), according to Matiosian. It originally began “in the form of a steak dinner and baklava fundraiser.” By 1959, the parish had grown and moved to Santa Barbara, and this “Greek Night” continued to expand into “a celebratory night full of folk dancing and delicious foods intended not only to raise funds for the parish but to act as a means of celebrating our heritage and sharing our culture with the rest of Santa Barbara.”
Each admission ticket comes with one free raffle ticket, with more available to purchase inside. As for the prizes, first place will win $3,000 or round-trip tickets for two to Greece, second place will win one case of wine from Demetria Winery and a wine tasting for four, third place will win a Fit Buddha fitness package that includes a 45-minute private group training session for the winner and up to nine friends on the MegaFormer, and fourth place will win a wine tasting for four at Demetria Winery.
On both Friday, August 15, and Saturday, August 16, the event will start at noon and end at 8 p.m. Children aged 12 and under are free to attend, and general admission can be purchased at the door for $5. More information is available at sbgreekfest.org.
