On Sunday 13th November 2016, the Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of “Saint Nectarios” held their annual event ‘Greek Street Fair’ on Burleigh Street, Burwood in Sydney.
From 11am to 5pm, the day was filled with Greek Dancing Performances, Greek music, Greek food, the Annual Fundraising Walkathon, market stalls, competitions, activities for children and lots more.
The Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Burwood and District was established in 1970 and has been serving the spiritual, cultural and educational needs of the local Greek community since that time. This growing and popular event on the local calendar is organised by the Burwood Parish to celebrate and share the Greek cultural heritage and spirit with the local community.
“Greek Street Fair Burwood is special because it attracts people from a huge range of cultural backgrounds and lots of different ages. Our aim is to share the Greek culture and heritage with the local community and we know that we’ve been successful when we see so many different people joining in with our celebration and having a great day out” said Christina Efthymiades, Company Secretary and Director for The Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Burwood and District and Event Director for Greek Street Fair Burwood.
The Master of Ceremonies of the day was veteran newscaster John Mangos, and featured dancing performances from groups all over Sydney, including the local dance group of The Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Burwood and District- The Nassibian Dancers. Other performances were from The Hellenic Lyceum Dancers, Sydney Academy of Dance & Culture, Sydney Sizmos, The Cyprus Community of NSW Dancers, Rallis School of Greek Dance and The Cretan Association of Sydney and NSW Dancers who performed to live Greek music with musicians from Crete.
The entertainment didn’t stop there. There was also live music by Bouzouki Player George Calopedos and DJ Jim Giann whose music encouraged the audience onto the stage to dance, as well as a Greek Dance Fitness demonstration by OPA-cize™, which was enjoyed by the everyone.
Christina Efthymiades further stated "We know people keep coming back year after year - and that makes us really proud. People love the Greek dancing performances, the live Greek music, food, market stalls and all the activities we organise”.
This year also, the Annual Fundraising Walkathon in support of the Greek Welfare Centre took place as part of Greek Street Fair Burwood. “The Greek Welfare Centre is the community and welfare services arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia. We provide services and programs that enable and empower individuals and groups to participate in all aspects of Australian society,” said Angelo Hatziatouris, Chairman, Greek Welfare Centre Administration Committee. The 40th Annual Fundraising Walkathon is an easy 2.6km walk through Burwood Streets to “help raise funds for our important work,” Mr Hatziatouris further commented.
The Greek Street Fair Burwood was a successful day enjoyed by all, as it was a community event engaging with people from diverse backgrounds. This family friendly event is organised by volunteers of The Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Burwood and District, as Christina said “without their dedication we would not have built such a popular local event.”
* Images from Bourdo Photography (Copyright)
