Opa!!

A touch of Greece swept Tucson this weekend as the annual Greek Festival took up at the Greek orthodox church over on Mountain and Ft. Lowell. It cost three dollars to get in and children 12 and under were free!

"I love working the festival every year," said Chuck Vinzant, who helps monitor the entrances and exits and id's those who look underage. Vinzant used to be a tucson local until he moved to Arkansas this summer to continue his formal education. "The guy who runs the festival likes me, so he called me up and asked me to work again this year. Is the pay great? Eh, not so much, it's just a really fun event," said Vinzant.

People of all ethnic backgrounds showed up for this event which started at 4 in the afternoon into the late evening. The lines were long but they moved very swiftly.

First thing my small group and I did when we entered the Greek Festival was head towards the smell of food. Gyro's, a spied lamb with tzatziki sauce and tomatoes and onions in a grilled fluffy pita, sausage marinated in a red sauce and cooked with peppers and onions...and of course, no meal would be complete without the customary ouzo shots and bottles of imported red wine.

There was traditional music being played as well as the Greek youth dancing in the back area of the church. Little booths all over the place filled with Greek souvenirs and bakery tables with Baklava, a sweet pastry desert made with a magical honey syrup, crushed walnuts and cinnamon, delicately layered between phyllo dough crust.

We found ourselves wandering into the back area of the church setup after pigging out on food. There was a large stage in the back when people were dancing and making announcements. We took a seat on the back steps and observed the crowds that had gathered for this festival.

Usually I am frowned up when walking out in public with my own personal bottle of wine and Dixie cup. At the Greek festival, it is quite the norm. The rest of the festival, was . . . well it was hard to remember, all the uozo and wine kicked in after bottle numero due, and all the can say is this. Good food, great people, wonderful times, at the Tucson Greek Festival.