 By Zirana Staff Writers With cries of “Opa” and “Yassou” in the air, the 37th Annual Belmont Greek Festival rolls into the Peninsula with food and fun for the entire family on Labor Day Weekend, Sat., Sept. 1, through Mon., Sept. 3, at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross, 900 Alameda de las Pulgas, in Belmont. The three-day Belmont Greek Festival will feature homemade Greek meals and desserts, live Greek music, dancers who lift tables with their teeth, a Greek mythology play, children’s games and crafts, folk music concerts, cooking demonstrations, shopping boutiques, a flea market, church tours and more. More than 15,000 people are expected to visit the Festival, according to Co-chairman Bob Nemchik, who says it is a cultural celebration that everyone in the family can enjoy. “We strive to present different kinds of entertainment,” Nemchik said, “So that whether you’re a young pethi (child) or a yia-yia (grandmother) or anywhere in between, you’ll have a great time.” It all starts with the food. Dozens of church volunteers work for months preparing and cooking the authentic Greek dishes, Nemchik said. The Festival menu includes barbecued lamb chops (with Greek seasonings), moussaka (layers of eggplant and ground beef topped with a cream sauce) and dolmades (grape leaves wrapped around ground beef and rice). Those who prefer a meatless diet will enjoy fried kalamari (squid), spanakopita (spinach and cheese stuffed inside layers of filo pastry), fasolatha (bean soup) and Greek salad. For dessert, guests can feast on homemade pastries such as loukoumades (doughnut holes covered with honey), baklava (layers of nuts and filo soaked in honey) and galactobouriko (filo pastry filled with custard and covered with syrup). After eating, the kids will be entertained in the Fun Zone with carnival games, arts and crafts, inflatable bounce structures, and concerts by award-winning children’s entertainer Andy Z. Young and old alike will enjoy the Greek mythology play in the outdoor amphitheater. The amphitheater is also home to concerts by the “Festival Folk Singers and Ensemble” and the “Aurora Mandolin Orchestra.” In another outdoor venue, guests will be able to dance to a live band and watch performances by youth dance groups and the popular table dancers called “Sons of Ulysses.” “The ‘Sons of Ulysses’ are two young men, Peter and George Stamos, who dance as they lift stacks of tables and chairs with nothing but their teeth,” Nemchik said. “They always get the crowd cheering.” Tours of the award-winning Byzantine-style church, with its extensive mosaic iconography, will be given throughout the weekend. The Holy Cross Church Liturgical Choir will sing Orthodox hymns during the first church tour on Sunday. 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 1, and Sunday, September 2, from Noon to 10 PM, and Monday, September 3, from Noon to 8 PM. The Fun Zone for children closes at 7 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, explore this website or call the church office, (650) 591-4447. We’ll see you there! Yassou!
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