Multicultural celebrations and celebrity guests make Cairns Greek Festival 2019 most popular yet
With sunny skies, delicious food and entertainment bringing together an array of cultures, the 2019 Cairns Greek Festival smashed it’s attendance records.
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WITH sunny skies, delicious food and entertainment bringing together an array of cultures, the 2019 Cairns Greek Festival smashed its attendance records.
It was bumper-to-bumper trying to find a park along Kamerunga Rd for the festival, with more than 6500 people passing through the gates.
St John’s Parish board president Theo Bacalakis said the festival had come a long way from the first one, held 25 years ago at a Gordonvale paddock.
“The Greek Festival is always very popular because it’s about bringing Greek tradition with lots of other cultures,” he said.
“The weather’s been fabulous too, which helped – it rained last year.
“We used to do it as a three-night show on the Esplanade, but we prefer the setting of the Greek Orthodox Church; it looks like somewhere you’d find at Santorini or Mykonos.”
The entertainment was a highlight of the day, with ARC Drummers, the Cypriot Dance Group and Birdwing Tribal Bellydance representing many different cultures.
Actor-comedian George Kapiniaris, who was invited to perform at the event by St Johns’ Father Menelaos Hatzoglou, said he enjoyed getting to perform in Cairns for the first time in 12 years.
“I did three shows, but my favourite part was between sets where I was getting among the crowd,” he said.
“I had no idea what to expect, it’s very multicultural, not just Greek. That’s what’s great about these sorts of things – experiencing and meeting people who’ve had similar experiences to you back home.”
Mr Kapiniaris said he had been asked to return for the festival next year and would be happy to do so.
Originally published as Multicultural celebrations and celebrity guests make Cairns Greek Festival 2019 most popular yet
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