Anderson Greek Festival celebration fit for the gods

By Rick Spruill
Saturday, October 3, 2009

More than 1,000  (approx 4000) people attended the event, which ran from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., and enjoyed Greek-style roast lamb; dolmades, or rice-stuffed grape leaves; spanakopita, or phyllo dough filled with spinach and feta cheese; and a variety of other dishes before throwing back fresh pastries such as baklava and finikia, a spice cookie dipped in nuts and honey.

Tenth Circuit Solicitor Chrissy Adams stood behind a table working a cash register for one of two food lines and said her maiden name is Theos.

“Yes, the word means ‘god’ in Greek,” Adams said with a self-conscious grin.

She was one of more than 150 volunteers working the event.

Scheduled to run until 5 p.m. today, the festival is a charity benefiting the building fund of the Paracletos Greek Orthodox Monastery in Antreville, a self-sustaining monastery that is home to three Greek Orthodox nuns.

Live entertainment, including the Troupe Adelphia dance group of St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Greenville, performed music and dance routines native to Greece. Children learned about Greek architecture while enjoying several activities, most of which were free, at the Parthenon Playground on the lawn behind the pavilion.

Inside the Anderson Art Center, people submitted bids for more than 200 items, including handmade Greek linens and tablecloths, wines from around the world, compact discs of Greek music and Greek dancing lessons, said Kristin Speight, chairwoman for the silent auction committee.

“Based on the bids we’ve received through this afternoon, we expect to raise several thousand dollars for the monastery,” Speight said.

Speight said she has visited the monastery, and that it is “breathtaking. It is tiny, but it packs all the punch of a cathedral.”

Outside on the arts center landing Saturday, people browsed for Greek treasures at Yia Yia’s Attic, an outdoor yard sale.

Carrie Rozakos, Christy Bikas and Martha Burriss sat at a table collecting tickets for the Parthenon Playground and said the weather played a large role in the large crowds.

“It’s been steadily busy since we got started at 11,” Carrie Rozakos said Saturday afternoon. “Every picnic table has been full most of the day, and it’ll pick back up again for the dinner rush.”

JahtmFlores and Ashley Wichman, graduate students at Clemson University, said Saturday was their first experience at the festival.

Flores said she was “very impressed” with the Greek dishes.

“I’m not what you would call an aficionado,” Flores said. “But, I guess I like Greek food enough that I’ve learned how to pronounce the names of the dishes.”

Wichman looked down at her plate full of Greek-style roast lamb, dolmades and spanakopita and did not pause when asked which was her favorite.

“Spanakopita,” she said. “It is incredible.”

The St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral Troupe Adelphia performs a traditional dance in the 4th annual The Greek Festival Saturday at The Anderson County Farmer's Market in Anderson (photo: Anderson Independent-Mail)

The St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral Troupe Adelphia performs a traditional dance in the 4th annual The Greek Festival Saturday at The Anderson County Farmer's Market in Anderson (photo: Anderson Independent-Mail)