GREEK FESTIVAL February 23rd & 24th 2013 www.PDGREEKFEST.org Saint George Greek Orthodox Church 74-109 Larrea Palm Desert, CA COME BE GREEKThe splendor of Greece isFOR returning to Palm A Desert. DAY! It’s the 17th Annual OPA!Palm Desert Greek Festival, hosted by the community of St. George Greek Orthodox church, starting Saturday, February 23rd at 11:00 am and ending Sunday night, February 24th at 8:00 pm. This is the one event not to miss this year! OPA! In celebration of the 17th Palm Desert Festival, the Greeks are throwing a party! Greek Music, Greek dancing! Need a lesson? Watch our award winning folk dance groups as they perform, or grab a napkin and join the line! As you enter the Festival, you will be instantly transported from Palm Desert to the allure of the simple Greek countryside and the magic of the Greek Isles. There are neither quaint coastal villages, nor the blue water of the Aegean for your eyes to see. But, as you walk about the festival, we’ll fill you and your soul with the “GREEK WAY” of life. Greeks like no others, tend to live life with greater zest and intensity in all their activities. They call it: Kefi (“Ke-Fi” ) (n.,Greek) - Liveliness, intense and especially ecstatic happiness. The expression of such a feeling “Ke-fi” is what you will experience during the Palm Desert Greek Festival. The Festival offers a weekend celebration of authentic Greek foods, including plenty of “mezedes” (appetizers), traditional folk dancing, live Greek Music, shopping, Kidz area, cooking demos, church tours and much, much more! However the Greek way of life includes “Parea” (n., Greek) - Good company, the enjoyment and camaraderie of many friends. So bring your friends, the more, the better. Greeks find little enjoyment or happiness in spending time alone. They love the buzz of being out and about in the company of others. Their happiness is not complete unless they can enjoy it surrounded by a Parea. Greeks love moving about their neighborhoods, villages, towns and cities in these Pareas, eating, drinking, laughing, chatting, shouting, and teasing each other. They are always ready to add to the company, congenial acquaintances, and even strang- ers encountered along the way. Greeks enjoying Parea are abundant at the Palm Desert Greek Festival. Just take a look around; everyone is having a good time! You will recognize and feel Parea immediately! It’s contagious! Come join our Greek Life. Stroll our church grounds & soak in all the wafting aromas, sights and bouzouki sounds. Drop by, visit the Kouzina (Kitchen) and see what’s cooking! Need a breather? Sit under the palm trees, blue skies, desert sunshine and enjoy the mountain scenery & live music, while sipping on Greek coffee and fresh, hot Loukoumades drenched in cinnamon & sugar. It’s rich enough to keep you up dancing for 2 days. OPA! Hungry? Stop at the Taverna grill area and have a world famous Gyro, or some imported Loukanico sausage. But, save some room for a combination dinner, or Lamb chops with Greek feta fries and those mouth-watering, Greek pastries. Cap off your evening with a taste of Ouzo (licorice licquer).Walk around between courses and check out the vendor Kiosks brimming with souvenirs, imported olives, oils, spices and treats. The fine jewelry, art and religious items are well worth a visit too! Their works are original and the values are as exceptional as any found in Greece. The Festival starts Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 am and the Kefi’ keeps going ‘til 8:00 pm both days! St. George Greek Orthodox Church is the venue for the festivities located at 74-109 Larrea Street in Palm Desert. Just off El Paseo, behind the Wells Fargo Bank where Lantana meets Larrea. Look for the copper domed, white church, and Greek Flags waving to welcome you. Admission is just $3 per adult and free to children 12 and under, active Military, Fire & Police w/ID. For further info, call the church office at 760-568-9901. So Welcome! Kalos Orisate! Eat a bit, drink a little, dance a lot, share our Kefi’, have fun and remember to be “Greek for a day!” Jenni Pulos is “FLIPPING OUT” -------> At the 17th Annual Palm Desert Greek Festival! Unique, Greek American Actress/ comedian/writer/songwriter/producer and reality star, Jenni Pulos is hosting our festival this year. Staring for the last 7 seasons on the Bravo – TV network’s “Flipping Out” and currently on Bravo’s new show, “Interior Therapy” with Jeff Lewis; Jenni’s career is doing cartwheels. She can also be seen as the latest Secret deodorant spokesperson, endorsing Secret Outlast with a cutting edge commercial campaign that’s taking deodorant to new heights. We’re also excited and quite proud to announce that Jenni has been asked by the Greek America Foundation to emcee The Gabby Awards in Hollywood on May 25th. The Gabbys are the top achievement awards for Greek (North) Americans and more than 1000 people from throughout the world will be in town for the amazing weekend of activities. Go Jenni! Yassou! Join us at the Greek Festival and meet Jenni in person. She may be Rapping, she may be dancing or cooking. We never know what Jenni may be doing. What we do know is it’s always fun when Jenni’s here at the Palm Desert Greek Festival. Come Be Greek for Day and break some plates with Jenni. OPA! Palm Desert Greek Festival 2013 Page 2 of 12 “Kalos oree-seteh”! That’s the Greek word for “WELCOME”. Literally, it means, “It is well that you are seen!” Taking to heart this literal meaning of the Greek word for “welcome”, we are saying that it is well for us to see you, knowing that you are healthy and happy. It’s an expression of caring LOVE in Greek. Welcome to our 2013 Greek Festival! We look forward to sharing our Greek culture with you and we hope that your visit with us is truly arewarding experience. At the same time, we hope that you take advantage of the many oppor- tunities over the course of the year and throughout the Coachella Valley to share in the cultures of the many people who have come together to make up our general community. As we live together, we here at St. George ask Christ our God for all those things that are truly beneficial to the souls and bodies of every citizen of our community at large. Our prayers must always translate into actions that are indeed good and beneficial to others. It is in this spirit that we grow to a greater understanding of the fact that we truly need one another. It is in this spirit that we treasure your attendance at our Greek Festival. Yours in Christ’s Love, Fr. Theodore Pantels Best wishes Parish Priest, St. George Greek Orthodox Church History About Orthodoxy for a successful Eastern Orthodoxy and Roman Catholicism are the two old- est Christian faiths in existence. Until the year 1054, the two churches were united as the one and only Christian Faith. Both churches share Festival! the honor of true Apostolic succession: Eastern Orthodox through the Apostle Andrew and Roman Catholic by way of Apostle Peter. Worldwide, there are over 170 million members of the Orthodox The Argyros faith and growing. The Orthodox liturgy practiced today has been tenaciously preserved in its original form for almost 2000 years. Here, at St. George the only Family difference is services are typically 80% English and 20% Greek. Many Orthodox churches are culturally different; Greek, Russian, Lebanese, George & Stacy Korean, Ethiopian, Japanese, Romanian..., but the faith is all identical- ly, Orthodox. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, with over 6 Katherine & Matt million members, is under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Ecumeni- cal Patriarch Bartholomew who is the 330th apostolic successor to the church founded in Constantinople by the Apostle Andrew. Elena & Roula Church tours are offered during the Greek Festival several times a day. Priests will be on hand Wishing St. George to answer your questions. a Successful 2013 Festival! We encourage everyone to take a church tour and enjoy the incredible beauty of our award winning, Byzantine mosaic icons St. George Parish Council and experience a taste of Orthodoxy. Dear Friends & Guests, On behalf of the Parish Council, it is my pleasure to welcome you to the St. George Greek Orthodox Church 17th Annual Greek Festival. Our annual Greek Festival allows every guest in attendance to be “Greek for a day”! We take pride in our Greek heritage and culture and want you to experience and enjoy our Greek cuisine, Greek music and dancing, and Greek fellowship. All of our food items and desserts are homemade from traditional family recipes that have their origins in Greece. We hope that you will take some time during your visit to learn about our Orthodox faith by taking a guided tour of our beautiful church. If you have never been inside a Greek Orthodox Church please take advantage of this opportunity. We are constantly striving to improve our annual Greek Festival based on input we receive from our guests every year. If you have any questions or suggestions, please share them with any of our many festival volunteers. I would like to thank the many individuals and businesses that have made donations to make our festival a success. Extra thanks to our Greek Festival Chairman, George Argyros and to all of our volunteers whose tireless efforts of time, talent, and treasure make this festival a great community event.