Greek Heritage Comes Alive at Festival

Shouts of "Opa!" echoed throughout the courtyard at St. Katherine's Greek Orthodox Church, as costumed dancers twirled and revelers enjoyed gyros and Athenian spirits. For the weekend of June 8-10, patrons would get a taste of the Mediterranean culture in their own backyards at the annual South Bay Greek Festival.

The festival has been a staple of Redondo Beach since 1964, and judging by the packed-to-the-brim commons areas, it will continue to have a bright future for years to come. The three-day event, sponsored by its home base of St. Katherine's Church, was a boisterous party, with toddlers linking arms with adults and seniors as classical Greek band the Olympians entertained smiling crowds.

"Our goal is to share our cherished cultural and precious spiritual heritage with you in a festive and joyous atmosphere that is fun and safe for the entire family, and for people of all ages," the Rev. Fr. Michael K. Courey explained in the festival brochure. He and his fellow clergymen personally greeted guests and gave tours of the church grounds.

Whether one preferred the quiet of the pews or the hullabaloo of the dance tent, there was a section for all interests and age groups. Ona Schaefer and her father, Joel, spent time in the kids zone, where she tried her hand at one of the games of chance.

"You've got to love the music, the food and the dancing," said Joel Schaefer, who intended on visiting all three days of the festival.

"And the candy!" Ona added, grinning.

The food was a huge attraction. People willingly waited in half-hour lines to sample the pastries. A big hit were the loukoumades, honey dumplings battered with cinnamon.

Youngster Vaggeli Tzortzoudakis manned one of the dough mixers as his father, John, offered loukoumades morsels to passersby.

"I've been volunteering for 20 [years]," John Tzortzoudakis said. "You hang around, and it's just fun."