Oakland Greek Festival – Our 51st Year!

From the Oakland Auditorium in 1972 to the hills of Oakland in 2023, the Greek community celebrates its treasured local history

While 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 city of Oakland embraced the Greeks Continued on page 8 as displays were created, Jack London Square was temporarily renamed Constitution Square, and events highlighting the coming festival were held, all of which culminated in two days of food, dance, and festivities!

Ascension’s Panhellenic Dancers’ Chris Constantouros hangs the Constitution Square sign in Jack London Square.

AHS Photo: May 1972

As you join us for this year’s festival, our 51st 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