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Greek Festival 2022 Page 3
Dear Friends and Patrons:
Welcome to the 50th year of the Oakland Greek Festival sponsored by Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension! After a two-year hiatus, we are excited to welcome you back to our Cathedral campus and to offer you our philoxenia (hospitality) We are thankful that we live in this diverse community in the Bay Area that celebrates many cultures. As you enjoy the celebration of our Hellenism, you will see that deep down we are all very much the same. Feel free to be Greek for the day. The annual festival reflects the local foods, dances, and customs of Greece. It is our opportunity to share them with you and our opportunity pass them on to our next generation. You will be invited to sample delicious foods and delectable desserts as well as displays of our dance, music, art, and religion. Our Christian roots are evident in our Festival, the Greek people have been Christian for two thousand years, and this has shaped our Hellenic culture. This Festival is a celebration of who we are: Greek’s living in America, Americans born of Greek ancestry, and many people of other ethnic backgrounds who have joined our faith community. We invite you, our friends, to experience our rich culture. We are thankful to live in this great nation that allows us to celebrate our faith and culture. With our Lord’s blessing, Fr. Thomas J. Zaferes
Program Contents Welcome
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Festival Basics
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Oakland Greek Festival Our 50th Year!
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Designer STEPHANIE LEAL Cover Art TULA ASSELANIS OAKLANDGREEKFESTIVAL.COM
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What You Can Find at the Festival
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Music Schedule
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Entertainment Schedule
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Live Greek Music
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Greek Festival Map
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Greeks Dance in the Best Circles
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Cathedral Tours, Concerts, and Authors
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Program Coordinator/Copy Editor FROSENE PHILLIPS
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What a Journey It Has Been!
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Welcome to Oakland’s Greek Festival 2022!
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t is that time of year together. With all of the when the wonderful food we offer, you will aromas of Souvlakia simply have to eat your and Loukoumades way from one end to waft through the air and another. We have put our the sounds of traditional heart, soul, and favorite Greek music and shouts of Greek seasonings into “Opa!” resonate in the hills our many delicious foods of Oakland. The Oakland for you. From gyros and Greek Festival 2022 is lamb sandwiches to wine thrilled to welcome YOU, and Frappe beverages, we once again, and celebrate want you to taste Greece! our 50th year! What Music drives the would Oakland’s Greek Greeks in every aspect Festival be without the of our lives. From the many people from our upbeat, toe-tapping community who come to sounds of the Bouzouki, Festival Chairman Yanni Limnios enjoy all the treats for the to the soothing yet ears, and eyes and stomach? It is with great joy powerful Hymns of the Church, you will find and excitement that we invite you to experience each sound intoxicating. Greece will be evident our Greek culture this weekend. throughout the Festival with our live music that In 1972, the Festival’s founding committee will enchant you and bring out the inner Greek put together an event in the hopes of keeping dancer, or you may choose to watch one of our the Traditions and their Religion alive and strong many Greek dancing groups perform traditional in the hearts of their children. Little did they village dances. know that 50 years later this festival would be a With everything that we do in our lives, the stage to share our vibrant culture, savory food, world of the Greeks revolve around our rock… and trusted religion with our greater Bay Area The Greek Orthodox Religion. The heart and community. With this Festival, we are bringing soul of our Festival is the Cathedral itself. Both Greece to YOU! literally and metaphorically, the Cathedral Some say that the Greeks are more serves as the center foundation of our religious hospitable than can be imagined. We rarely community. We invite you to tour our beautiful let you leave our homes without third or even Cathedral and marvel at the wonders that it fourth helpings. It is this giving spirit that makes offers. With church tours regularly, feel free to our Festival come alive! inquire about Orthodoxy with our clergy. What makes our festival the True Greek What makes this Festival so special is that Experience is the sight of our young and old you will have an opportunity to experience working side by side, our children filled with joy the best of Greece with its natives, your friends to dance for you, and our experienced yiayias and neighbors. We invite you to celebrate our (grandmothers) offering you a taste of traditional own Greek culture with us while enjoying the spanakopita (spinach pie) and their favorite pastry breathtaking views of the bay! We hope that you recipes from their homeland. leave feeling a little more “Greek” than when you Food is an important part of the Greek arrived! Opa!! Culture. We eat when we are happy, we eat when Efharisto poli (Thank you very much), we are sad, and we eat just because… Yanni Limnios but the most important thing is that we eat Chairman • Oakland Greek Festival 2022
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Festival Basics The Ascension Greek Orthodox Cathedral invites you to share a multi-faceted experience that tantalizes the senses. Tens of thousands of visitors eagerly gather to sample what life is like in Greece today and to reflect on the impact that ancient Greek civilization has had on our American way of life. When 4 p.m.-10 p.m. Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday Where Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Ascension 4700 Lincoln Ave., below Highway 13 Admission Adults $5, Children 12 & under are free. Eventbrite Single Day $4, Two Day Pass $7, Weekend Pass $10. Rideshare Taking UBER or LYFT to-and-from the festival? Our easy drop-off and pick-up location is on Lincoln Avenue by the outdoor elevator next to the garage.
Parking • Free parking at the Mormon Temple, Ability Now Bay Area (formerly Cerebral Palsy Center) and Head Royce School. There is also free shuttle service available. • Premium Parking $20- PARKING PAVILION. The three-floor Parking Pavilion provides over 290 parking spaces with convenient access to the Oakland Greek Festival. Simply drive in the main entrance and self-park. The entrance is located on Lincoln Avenue across from the Cathedral between the Mormon Temple and Ability Now Bay Area formerly the Cerebral Palsy Center. Once you have parked, you can walk up the stairs to the Platia (Plaza) Level. The sights and sounds of Greece will greet you. No more long walks up or down hills. Pay at the entrance – No in and out privileges.
We love Animals and Pets! Father Tom even suggests we don’t need to do a blessing of the dogs because they are already blessed! Unfortunately Alameda County will not allow us a food serving license if we allow pets, therapy animals or emotional support animals in food serving places. We can only allow service animals. Service Dogs have been trained to provide a task and to behave in public places. They only meet the federal definition if they do a job the owner can’t perform themselves. We welcome all Service Dogs to the 50th year of the Oakland Greek Festival!
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Oakland Greek Festival – Our 50th Year! From the Oakland Auditorium in 1972 to the hills of Oakland in 2022, the Greek community celebrates its treasured local history
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Greek Week festivities kick off in downtown Oakland. AHS Photo: May 1972.
hile there had been “food festivals” in Ascension’s early history, there had never been anything that compared to the scale of “Greek Week” in May 1972. In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Ascension church, scores of parishioners volunteered and came together to put on a month-long series of events leading up to the culminating weekend of our first official Greek festival. At the time it was called “an ethnic celebration that made a resounding impact on the East Bay”. It was the first of its kind and was a citywide historic event. For one week, the Continued on page 8 city of Oakland embraced the Greeks
Community is something Gus “Costa” Triggas learned early on since his days attending Sunday School … and, all of the Oakland Greek festivals since day one! Congratulations Ascension! Celebrating our 50th year! 1972 to 2022
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Page 8 Greek Festival 2022 Ascension’s
as displays were created, Jack Panhellenic Dancers’ Chris Constantouros London Square was temporarily hangs the Constitution renamed Constitution Square, and Square sign in Jack London Square. AHS events highlighting the coming Photo: May 1972. festival were held, all of which culminated in two days of food, dance, and festivities! As you join us for this year’s festival, our 50th year, we encourage you to eat delicious food, dance with us, and take some time to find the historical reminders from years past. Effie Moon and Dimi Victor sample Greek cuisine under the watchful eye of Chef Dino Polyzos who heads a team of 22 cooks as they prepare for thousands of guests who will attend the Greek Week Food Festival at the Oakland Auditorium. PHOTO COURTESY AHS, May 1972
Learn more about Ascension’s rich history by visiting ascensionhistoricalsociety.org or capture the QR code with your phone camera to take you there directly.
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What You Can Find at the Festival Remarkable Architecture Oakland is home to one of the most exquisite modern Byzantine Church structures in the world. Visitors come from all over to see the synthesis of Ancient Greek, Byzantine and Modern architecture forms. Tours are given daily (see page 13), plus each day the Ascension Liturgical Choir augments the tour with Church hymns. Tasty Treats Strolling along the festival grounds, you can enjoy the tantalizing aromas of Souvlakia (chicken or pork shish kebobs cooked to order), Arni tis Souvlas (whole lamb on a spit), Barbecued Leg of Lamb Sandwiches (they are delicious) and Loukaniko (Greek sausage with just a hint of orange). Calamari is another tasty and tender treat that is prepared to order and served hot. Also try the always-popular Tiganites Patates (fries) located in the Calamari booth. The Spanakopita and Tiropita booths are “homemade”, not store bought and remain the perfect Orektika or appetizers. They are filo pastry filled with feta and spinach or feta and cottage cheese. Served piping hot out of the oven, they are delectable. The most popular and largest booth remains the Gyro booth, which serves roughly 6,000 pita-filled delights. Tender, perfectly grilled spicy beef is piled on pita bread and topped with tomatoes, onions and Tsatsiki, a yogurt and cucumber sauce with dashes of special seasonings. Prepared to order, the gyros have been called the finest in the Bay Area. Halloumi is a Greek-Cypriot cheese that is delicate in flavor and texture, but perfect for grilling and topped with a caper sauce served on pita bread – a real delicacy for the discriminating palate. Another festival favorite is Saganaki, a special Kefalograviera cheese imported from Greece. The cheese is grilled and flambéed with brandy as the spectators shout “Opa!” Complete your feast with our delicious Loukoumades and homemade Greek pastries in the Kefenion or take them to go!
Live Music to Entertain You Throughout the festival, attendees can hear the pulsating sounds of Greek folk music that make the feet fly and heart light. Meet our musicians! Please turn to page 14.
Friday Platia Stage | 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. KYMATA with GEORGE MYLORDOS on Bouzouki and Maria Arizou, Kostas Papamichael, Stamatis Houliaras Taverna Stage | 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. HELIOS GREEK BAND
Saturday Platia Stage | 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. MYTHOS BAND featuring Sylvia Kalivitis, Bobby Kalivitis, Will Kouvaris, Evan Veloudis Taverna Stage | 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. MEDITERRANEAN SOUL with CHRISTOS on Bouzouki featuring FROSENE and George Chittenden, Ari Langer, Mike Kutulas, George Rangraves
Sunday Platia Stage | 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. MYTHOS BAND featuring Sylvia Kalivitis, Bobby Kalivitis, Will Kouvaris, Evan Veloudis Taverna Stage | 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. MEDITERRANEAN SOUL with CHRISTOS on Bouzouki featuring FROSENE and George Chittenden, Ari Langer, Mike Kutulas, George Rangraves
Do You Have A Festival Gift Coupon? To redeem your $15, please take your coupon to the CASHIER BOOTH to exchange for a gift card which is accepted throughout the festival. Please note that the coupons can only be exchanged at this booth.
Accepting Credit/Debit Cards At All Our Booths In order to make your experience at the Oakland Greek Festival as easy as possible we accept credit and debit cards at all booths, entrances, and in the dining room. Festival Gift Cards will be available for purchase with cash or check for those who prefer. This card can be used at any of our festival booths Still have tokens on hand? Unfortunately, tokens are no longer accepted.
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2022
Entertainment Schedule Friday 4:30 p.m. CATHEDRAL Church Tour / Orthodoxy Q&A
7:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Titanes Dancers
6:00 p.m. PLATIA STAGE Anagenisis Dancers
8:00 p.m. CATHEDRAL Liturgical Choir Concert
6:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Anagenisis Dancers
8:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Analypsis Dancers
Sunday
12:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Koinonia Dancers 1:00 p.m. KAFENION Cooking Demonstration 1:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Anagenisis Dancers
Saturday
4:30 p.m. CATHEDRAL Author Apollo Papafrangou
2:00 p.m. CATHEDRAL Author Apollo Papafrangou
5:00 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Titanes Dancers
2:30 p.m. CATHEDRAL Liturgical Choir Concert
5:30 p.m. CATHEDRAL Church Tour / Orthodoxy Q&A
3:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Anagenisis Dancers
6:00 p.m. CATHEDRAL Liturgical Choir Concert
4:00 p.m. KAFENION Cooking Demonstration
2:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Aionia Dancers
6:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Analypsis Dancers
4:15 p.m. CATHEDRAL Church Tour / Orthodoxy Q&A
3:00 p.m. CATHEDRAL Liturgical Choir Concert
7:15 p.m. CATHEDRAL Church Tour / Orthodoxy Q&A
4:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Titanes Dancers
3:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Anagenisis Dancers
7:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Ascension Dancers
6:00 p.m. CATHEDRAL Church Tour / Orthodoxy Q&A
4:00 p.m. KAFENION Cooking Demonstration
9:00 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Enomeni Dancers
6:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Analypsis Dancers
12:30 p.m. WINDMILL PLAZA Koinonia Dancers 1:00 p.m. KAFENION Cooking Demonstration 1:30 p.m. CATHEDRAL Church Tour / Orthodoxy Q&A
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Live Greek Music Featured on the Platia Stage and in the Taverna
Kymata
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he festival offers a variety of music all weekend long on the Platia Stage. Kicking off the weekend are KYMATA featuring the bouzouki artistry of George Mylordos on Friday. Joining Mylordes are vocalist Maria Arizou, Kostas Papamichael and Stamatis Houliaras. Also on Friday, over on the Taverna Stage, enjoy the traditional sounds of the HELIOS GREEK BAND. Helios features vocalist Irene Mavroudis with Michael Garibaldi, Greg Jenkins, George Mavroudis, Michael Mavroudis, and Lefteri Tsacle. Visit heliosgreekband.com. Making their Festival debut on the Platia Stage Saturday and Sunday are the exciting sounds of the MYTHOS BAND. This south county-based band features vocalist Sylvia Kalavitis and Bobby Kalavitis on bouzouki with Will Kouvaris, and Evan Veloudis. Visit facebook.com/BandMythos. Electrifying the Taverna Stage all weekend long is MEDITERRANEAN SOUL featuring vocalist Frosene Phillips, the entertaining Christos Sarantakis on bouzouki, and special guests including clarinetist George Chittenden, violinist Ari Langer, Mike Kutulas and George Rangraves. Med Soul appears in this intimate taverna setting Saturday and Sunday. Visit medsoul.com. Grab a Greek beer or a glass of Greek wine with some Halloumi cheese and then dance like Zorba! Yiamas!
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Mythos Band
Helios Greek Band
Mediterranean Soul
What’s the secret to Greek cooking? Join Ascension Parishioners For Live Cooking Demonstrations Fillo pastry dough, feta cheese, honey, oregano, and more! Ascension parishioners will offer live Greek Cooking Demonstrations in the Kafenion Saturday and Sunday sharing their family recipe secrets and tips. Please see page 13 for the daily schedule. Kali Orexi! Learn Greek cooking tips and purchase delicious sweets in the Kafenion. PHOTO BY STAVRO VICTOR
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extravagantni/iStock/Thinkstock
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Greek Festival Map Windmill Plaza 1 Entrance 2 Windmill - Ascension Historical Society 3 Author Apollo Papafrangou 4 Pastries To-Go
Platia 6 Loukoumades 7 Gyro 8 Entrance Booth #2 9 Frappe/Ice Cream/ First Aid 10 Lamb Dinner 11 Lamb Chops/Souvlakia 12A Platia Bar 12B Greek Wine Tasting Bar 13 Platia Stage 14 Lamb Sandwich 15 Calamari/Fries
Taverna 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
AMC Marketing Cesar the Clown Loukaniko/Saganaki Playground Taverna Stage Taverna Bar Halloumi
Plaka 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
Beyond Bella Imports Fanny Fish OPD Tiropita/Spanakopita Sunny’s Concepts Raqsa Artwerks Teramia Theofanis EVOO Greek School Program Greek Ceramics Alzheimer’s Association Cashier Booth
Agora/Shops 36A Euro Style Fashions 36B Holy Assumption Monastery 37 Majul & Co. 38A His & Hers 38B Bethlehem Olive Wood Arts 39 Gemworks 41 Shakeels Concepts 42 Regina
Estiatorion (Dining Room) 43 Estiatorion Dining Room 44 Estiatorion Bar 45 Food Line
Kafenion 46 47 48
Ascension Book Store Greek Pastries Greek and American Coffee
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Greeks Dance IN THE BEST CIRCLES
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t has been said that, “Greeks dance in the best circles.” At the Oakland Greek Festival, everyone is Greek and the circles of dancers grow wider and wider as you join someone’s hand and follow along. After circling two or three times you will have mastered the steps and made some wonder. Greek Folk Dance Performances on the Windmill Plaza Five Ascension teams present Greek folk dance performances throughout the three-day Festival at the Windmill Plaza. See page 13 for performance times. Continued on page 20
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The Ascension Cathedral has five dance groups that comprise over 100 dancers. The dancers range in age from three to 25 to 50+ years old. The dances and costumes are representative of different regions of Greece. The dance groups practice weekly throughout the year and have two main events to perform for, one is the annual Folk Dance and Choral Festival (FDF) where over 100 dance groups comprising 3,000 dancers come together from throughout the U.S. to
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compete and share their Hellenic culture and Greek Orthodox faith. At FDF the Ascension dance groups have consistently won medals and have proven to be a powerhouse dance community that all in attendance enjoy watching. The second main event is our three-day festival where our following groups perform: Greeks dance in the best circles… Koinonia (Fellowship) Our Kindergarten group is just learning how to dance. Their energy and kefi (spirit) will be sure to put a smile on your face. Come cheer them on this weekend as they make their Festival debut! Aionia (Eternity) - Our up-and-coming dance group, these 1st thru 3rd graders have not had a chance to compete yet but warm our hearts with their enthusiastic dancing. Come watch their crowd-pleasing performances this weekend!
Continued on page 22
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Anagenisis (New Beginning) – Our promising 4th thru 6th grade dance group has been working on their amazing performance and is sure to warm our hearts with their enthusiastic dancing. Come watch their powerful performances this weekend! Titanes (Titans) – Our 7th thru 9th graders symbolize incredible strength and stamina. Come watch this group perform together again and entertain us with one of their award-winning performances at the Windmill Plaza! Analypsis (Ascension) – Our high school dancers, and proudly the The Titanes Dancers won first place in their namesake group of our Cathedral. This division at the 2019 FDF. Watch their award-winning group truly loves to dance and is so performances all weekend long. excited to be performing at the Festival after so long. Be sure to catch one of their energetic performances. Opa! Enomeni (United) – Our young adult group truly loves to dance. These dancers never miss a beat and their kefi is contagious! Don’t miss their crowd-pleasing performance on Saturday night!
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Cathedral Tours, Concerts, and Oakland Author Throughout The Weekend
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ours of the award-winning Ascension Cathedral are offered throughout the weekend offering an opportunity for conversation and education about the cathedral and Orthodoxy. Ascension’s Father Tom Zaferes, Proistamenos, and Father Nicholas Mueller will present tours each day. The Ascension Liturgical Choir will also share hymns of the Orthodox Church at its mini concerts Friday through Sunday. In addition to singing the Divine Liturgy each Sunday, the choir presents its annual free Christmas concert the first Friday of December. The public is welcomed to join this special tradition which celebrates its 52nd concert this year. Visit ascensioncathedral.com for details. Also joining the festival once again is Oakland author Apollo Papafrangou. He is the author of the acclaimed debut novel Wings of Wax. He has also written for HBO Films, which optioned the
film rights to his story The Fence (20002004). His fiction and poetry have appeared in ZYZZYVA magazine, Oakland Review, The Bookends Review, Sparkle & Blink, and the Simon & Schuster anthology Trapped. He holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Mills College. Apollo will feature his latest book We Grew Here at the festival. Rife with vibrant prose and dialogue true to the mystique of “Oakland cool,” We Grew Here is a commanding novel-in-stories from this hometown author. He attributes his passion for storytelling to being raised in a Greek-American household where the epics of his ancestors were combined with contemporary family lore. Visit apollopapafrangou.net
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1917 - 2022 What a Journey It Has Been!
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his year marks the 105th Anniversary of our community. To fully appreciate our 50th year of the Oakland Greek Festival is to understand the evolution of the Greek community in Oakland, CA, briefly summarized here from the Ascension Historical Society (AHS) website pahh.org. In the 1890s Greeks had already settled and opened their own businesses in the city of Oakland and its vicinity. By 1914, Greeks with Syrians and Lebanese were celebrating
the Divine Liturgy in a rented hall in Oakland with a priest coming from San Francisco to officiate. “The Hellenic Community of Oakland and Vicinity” was formally chartered by the State of California on February 16, 1917. Four years later, on May 21, 1921, Oakland’s Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption (Dormition) was dedicated at 920 Brush Street. Eventually the community outgrew these facilities in downtown Oakland. Thanks to the dedicated efforts of Mary Mousalimas, founder of AHS,
Congratulations Oakland Greek Festival! 1972 - 2022
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the church was moved for preservation in 1979 to its current location at 928 Castro Street. It is a designated Oakland landmark and listed on the U.S.A. National Register of Historic Places, as well as a California Historical Landmark. The doors of the Church of the Ascension in the Oakland hills were opened on December 11, 1960. The parish was later elevated to the status of Cathedral in February 1992. In October 2017, we proudly celebrated our 100th anniversary and recognized the transitions of our past through today’s Ascension Cathedral.
Serving the
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4038 Piedmont Avenue • Oakland, CA 94611 (510) 653-8181 • PiedmontGrocery.com
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Efharisto! T H A N K YO U F O R S U P P O R T I N G O U R F E S T I VA L !
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ravel with Greek wine expert Lisa Stavropoulos on a memorable wine and food experience to the most beautiful wine regions of Greece. Each region has its own special wines, culinary customs, unique people, and varied histories. Must see archaeological sites with time to explore on your own. Join Lisa and her small FUN groups on a Greek Grape Wine Tour in 2023.
SAVE THE DATE
May 19, 20, 21
2023
O A K L A N D G R E E K F E S T I VA L . C O M
Visit greekgrapewinetours.com for detailed itinerary, pricing, and how to secure your spot! Contact Lisa at lisa@greekgrapewinetours.com or 415-412-4524
Food of the Gods Best
Greek Cuisine outside the Mediterranean
Welcome to Kokkari. Immerse yourself in another world. Watch today’s roast slowly turning in our fireplace. Have a seat and enjoy Greek cuisine as it was meant to be: made from the freshest local ingredients, accompanied by excellent, carefully selected wines, and served with traditional Greek hospitality.
200 Jackson Street (at Front), San Francisco, CA 94111 p: 415.981.0983 fx: 415.982.0983 CONTEMPORARY HELLENIC CUISINE
KOKKARI.COM
The Warmth and Charm of Greece in Silicon Valley Authentic Greek cuisine made from the freshest local ingredients. At Evvia the staff will make you feel instantly welcome, as if you were arriving at an old friend’s home for dinner; an age-old Greek tradition.
420 Emerson Street, Palo Alto, CA 94301 p: 650.326.0983 fx: 650.326.9552 CONTEMPORARY HELLENIC CUISINE
EVVIA.NET
