XSTRATA GREEK FEST TOWNSVILLE, NORTH QUEENSLAND

September 2011

The annual Greek Festival in Townsville will be held on the weekend 8th and 9th October at Riverway Park, Kirwan. Xstrata Greek Fest is an event which showcases the Greek Culture to the wider community of North Queensland. It provides a unique opportunity for North Queensland and its visitors to embrace both Greek and Australian cultures through music, dance, cuisine, fun and games.

The Hellenic Dancers from the Senior groups to the younger children will be performing various dances of mainland Greece and the Greek Islands. For the official opening, the senior group will do a mythological theatre performance. As part of our cultural exchange program, Sizmos a dancing group from Sydney, will also be performing.

The children's component, this year, is the popular Shrek & Fiona who will perform 4 onstage shows over the weekend. These shows are provided free of charge and attract our younger audience and their families - many whom travel from surrounding districts. The festival is one of the few FREE entry cultural/arts events remaining in the region.

A 6 piece band from Sydney STEKI will be playing all the popular songs of Greece and audience participation in the dancing is encouraged. Acts are interspersed with competitions eg. Grape stomping, plate smashing, olive spitting, cooking demos, and many more. There is an activities marquee for the children and also fireworks.

The Greek Community of Townsville provide a wide selection of eats to suit everybody – souvlakia, octopus, calamari, yiros, fish, spanakopites to name a few. A licensed bar provides Greek beer and wines.

The Greek Festival is a family orientated event which provides a safe and friendly environment. It is nestled between the big rain trees where you can sit and watch the performances or watch it on the giant screen from anywhere on the park. There are also big man-made lagoons/pools where you can go for a swim free of charge.

The much awaited event of Xstrata Greek Fest Townsville is promising to be a huge hit again this year and we welcome you all to attend.