9th Annual Greek Festival
Greek Heritage to be Celebrated at St. Augustine Amphitheatre.
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Sept. 13) – The Greek influence on the Nation’s oldest city will be celebrated with music, food and fun at the Ninth Annual Greek Festival to be held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 6-8 at the St. Augustine Amphitheatre.
Hosted by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, the festival will feature a delicious assortment of Greek foods, pastries, beer, wine and non-stop entertainment. The Agora, or market, will have various items imported from Greece including books, music and icons. Live entertainment will include musical performances by the Hellenic Band of Jupiter and traditional Greek dances by the Nisiotes Dance Troupe. Greek dance lessons will be offered on Friday at 6 p.m.; Saturday at 3 and 5:30 p.m.; and Sunday at 3 p.m.
This year’s festival also features an exciting auction of rare sports and entertainment memorabilia including a boxing glove signed by Muhammad Ali, a piece of Dale Earnhardt’s Number 3 car autographed by Earnhardt, the script from an Emmy-award winning episode of “Friends” signed by the cast, an autographed Frank Sinatra collage, and a rare collage of items from the first “modern” Olympics held in 1896 and valued at $18,000. The auction begins on Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m.
Many Greeks arrived in St. Augustine in 1777 after fleeing from the failed British indigo plantation at New Smyrna where they had been mistreated as indentured servants. They held their first religious service in St. Augustine at the Avero House, more commonly known as the St. Photios Shrine, on St. George Street.
The Ninth Annual Greek Festival takes place from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday; 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. on Saturday; and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. The amphitheatre is located on A1A south of the St. Augustine Lighthouse. Admission is $1. For more information, call (904) 829.0504, (904)823.5906 or visit www.holytrinitygoa.org/greekfest/ .
The Greek Festival is supported in part by a grant from the St. Johns County Tourist Development Council. For the latest on festivals and events in St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra and The Beaches, go to the Visitors and Convention Bureau’s website www.Getaway4Florida.com or call 1.800.653.2489.
