Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church SANTA CRUZ

Posted: 09/12/2011 01:30:02 AM PDT

SANTA CRUZ -- Members of Prophet Elias Greek Orthodox Church are busy planning this year's annual Greek Festival, an admission-free community event that highlights the thriving Greek culture present here in Santa Cruz.
This year marks the 31st annual celebration.
While this year's festival promises food, music and dancing, Prophet Elias church member Athena Wolfe said there will be at lease one visible difference.


The lot that the event is annually held in is now property of the city and as a result, ordinances and regulations that have not previously been enforced will be. Wolfe says that this will be seen in the way things such as alcoholic beverages -- available for purchase at the event -- are handled.
While the festival has always obeyed laws surrounding the sale of alcohol to minors, Wolfe said this year there will be a wrist band and stamp system in place to indicate the over-21 crowd.
Wolfe lauded the city for their willingness to work with organizers, showing their support for the festival and helping the volunteer organizers comply with city regulations.
Despite any logisitical difficulties, the festival is gearing up for another memorable, high-energy event. This year will spotlight several lamb dishes, including lamb shanks served in a red sauce. Wolfe said the "fall-off-the-bone," slow cooked classic is a festival favorite.
However, Wolfe said her personal favorite is the meat moussaka. Moussaka is often called
"Greek lasagna," but she said that isn't necessarily the right description. The layered dish is composed of a meat layer, a layer of tomato sauce and spices, and a bechamel sauce.

"We make everything and we make it by hand," Wolfe said. "These recipes have been handed down generation to generation. It's all very traditional, but we do have variety."
The Greek Festival has become a local favorite, and Wolfe says that she has begun to recognize the faces of annual patrons from the community. What truly makes the festival unique, she explained, is the notion of "xenia" or hospitality.
"Part of Greek culture is hospitality. It's a central concept," Wolfe said. "You always put out the best for your guests and that's how we view this event: you're coming to our home as our guests."
In addition to food, there will be performances from dancing groups; they will perform traditional folk dances from various regions in Greece, including the "sirto" or 11-step dance, as well as freestyle. There will also be live Bouzouki music.
"For me, I always really enjoy it when people from the community, who are not Greek, get up and dance," she said.
The festival, Wolfe said, is an opportunity not only for non-Greek community members to experience a culture outside their own, it's an opportunity for Greeks in Santa Cruz to "reignite it here in the States."
"Greeks have a tremendous amount of pride in their culture," she said. "[The festival] is a labor of love for us because we get to re-experience our culture in our own way."
All proceeds from the event are directed back to Prophet Elias Church's operating budget.