Thousands ‘went Greek’ at Parramatta, Sydney

Bringing back pre-covid vibes and numbers, the Let’s Go Greek Festival went live on Sunday 11 September in Parramatta, Sydney.

The St Ioannis Parish site reportedly attracted thousands of festival-goers at the church forecourt during the day.

The gates opened at 11am following the dismissal of the Sunday Divine Liturgy with a generous sun warming up the crowds.

This year’s offerings featured a few classics: the market place with stalls dedicated to all craft Greek, hard-to-say-no-to food in abundance, live displays, kids activities and performances of course.

The Iho Nyx band, Telly and Kosta Benetatos and Nikitas Ellenis, took care of the live music part, with DJs Jimmy V and Georgie D appearing later on the decks.

The festive atmosphere was made complete with dancing; lots of it..

But attendees were not deterred from paying a visit to the indoor exhibitions, showcasing a range of artefacts and artwork. Historical and cultural exhibitions on display this year included: “From a single thread”, a display of traditional Greek costumes and textiles, an Evzones photographic exhibition by Nick Bourdaniotis, “From Hydra to Parramatta”, an exhibition showcasing the connection between the two places and a display of items from Yiannis Mazmanidis’ collection.

And for those who made it to the end, a fireworks display completed the day with a rewarding spectacle.

Among official guests present who gave speeches on the main stage were Grace Bishop Iakovos of Militoupolis representing Archbishop Makarios of Australia, the Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Christos Karras, and President of the Parish-Community of St Ioannis, Mr Kos Dimitriou.

“The festival’s success is mainly due to everyone’s commitment to work as a team member,” Mr Dimitriou had said a few days ahead of the Sunday festival and praised “all the members of our Community who dedicate valuable personal time and do their best to transform Parramatta into a little Greece in Sydney”.