Belmont Greek Festival Set for Labor Day Weekend, Sept. 4-6
 
            Belmont, CA – Bay Area residents can don their dancing shoes and 
sample wonderful Greek culture at the 34th annual Belmont Greek Festival on 
Labor Day Weekend, Sat., Sept. 4, through Mon., Sept. 6, at the Greek Orthodox 
Church of the Holy Cross, 900 Alameda, in Belmont.
            The three-day Belmont Greek Festival will feature delicious Greek 
meals and desserts, continuous music and dancing, exciting exhibition folk 
dancing, choral folk singing, a captivating mythology play and a fun children’s 
amusement area.
More than 15,000 people are expected to attend, festival organizers said.
            “Greeks are famous for their hospitality,” said Festival 
Chairman Bob Nemchik.  “So naturally, we’ll go out of our way to make sure everyone 
has a great time at our festival.”
“It all starts with lots of fantastic, mouth-watering food,” Nemchik said, “
and it keeps on going with the fun and excitement of the dancing, music and 
theater.”
            “Before you know it, you’ll be shouting, ‘Opa,’ just like the 
Greeks,” he added.
            Some of the favorite festival menu items will be souvlakia (Greek 
shish-kebab), barbecued lamb chops (with special Greek seasonings), 
spanakopita (spinach and cheese stuffed inside layers of filo pastry) and dolmades 
(grape leaves wrapped around ground beef and rice).
            There will also be traditional homemade Greek pastries such as 
loukoumades (doughnut holes covered with honey), baklava (layers of nuts and 
filo pastry soaked in honey), kourambiedes (crescent-shaped butter cookies 
covered with powdered sugar) and galactobouriko (filo pastry filled with custard and 
covered with syrup).
            To prepare these foods, the festival cooks use 500-600 pounds of 
filo pastry, 500 pounds of feta cheese, more than 500 pounds of butter, 180 
dozen eggs and 1,000 pounds of ground beef.
            Cooking demonstrations will be offered so visitors can learn to 
become Greek cooks themselves, Nemchik said.
            Visitors also will enjoy continuous music from a Greek band so 
they can dance the traditional kalamatiano, tsamiko, zeimbekiko and other Greek 
dances.  In addition, several award-winning folk dance groups will perform 
throughout the weekend in their colorful, hand-made costumes.
            In an outdoor amphitheater reminiscent of the ancient theaters of 
Greece, children and adults alike will enjoy a special theatrical production 
featuring the heroes and villains of Greek mythology.  The popular Festival 
Singers and Folk Ensemble also will perform Greek folk songs in the amphitheater.
            The Fun Zone Children’s Area will offer an inflated bouncing 
structure, games, rides and crafts for young people.
            Tours of the award-winning Byzantine-style church will be given 
throughout the weekend, and the Holy Cross Church Liturgical Choir will sing 
during the church tour on Sunday at 2:00 PM.
            Other festival highlights will include art, clothing, jewelry and 
gift boutiques, the “agora” flea market and displays of beautiful Orthodox 
icons from around the world.
            The Church of the Holy Cross supports many charitable groups 
throughout San Mateo County, and each year, the church donates a portion of the 
festival proceeds to several local charities.  Previous recipients of festival 
donations have included Samaritan House, Interfaith Network for Community Help 
(INCH), Children’s Advocacy Council, local schools and churches and the 
Belmont mayor’s choice of charity.  In addition, Holy Cross Church sponsors several 
children from the Children’s Receiving Home of San Mateo County as special 
guests of the festival.
            The hours of the Belmont Greek Festival are Saturday, September 
4, and Sunday, September 5, from Noon to 10 PM, and on Monday, September 6, 
from Noon to 8 PM.  The Fun Zone for children closes at 6 PM all three days.
            Admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for seniors and youth ages 
13-17.  Children 12 and under are admitted free, accompanied by a parent or 
guardian.
            For more information, visit www.goholycross.org or call (650) 
591-4447.  Yassou!
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