ONE FOR THE AGIOS

New Kalymnian Festival a success

OCTOPUS was the flavour of the day at the Kalymnian Brotherhood of Darwin on Saturday as the community rallied around the Greek Festival in honour of Agios Panteleimon.

Four different styles of octopus, among other savoury and sweet flavours, took visitors away to a Greek fantasy, matching it with other Greek festivals across the country.

Event MC John Lazarou attends each Greek community festival across Australia, and said the one thing which set Darwin’s aside was its tropical weather.

“The one thing that really excites me about Darwin is I feel like I’m on a Greek Island,” he said.

“The amount of people I’ve spoken to, they’ve missed GleNTi, and the fact this is on today has excited them.”

Mr Lazarou said the Greek community had proven its strength and unity in pulling off the stellar event.

“I love seeing the youth and the older generation who started the Kalymnian club together. They’re so unified, and we’ve got little kids dancing at two years old,” he said.

“I know the Greek culture is going to be safe in their hands, or should I say the feet, of the Darwin people.” Attendee Denise Creed said having events like the Greek Festival in Darwin, during a year when so many other events had fallen over, was fantastic. “I think they’ve done a great job considering the Greek GleNTi didn’t go ahead this year, and they’ve done this,” she said. “I think we need this.”

Kalymnian Arthur Tiliakos said it was important to celebrate Kalymnian culture, and having the festival in honour of the patron saint, whose name day fell this weekend, was the perfect opportunity. “It brings us together,” he said. “It’s been weeks, months since many of us have seen each other and now we have this.”

Kalymnian Brotherhood president Michael Melas will take over the event next year, when GleNTi and the Greek Festival will both run to complement one another.

“I guarantee next year is going to be bigger and maybe two days instead of the one,” he said.

I FEEL LIKE I’M ON A GREEK ISLAND MC JOHN LAZAROU

Picture: GLENN CAMPBELL Stratos Melas enjoys the octopus at the Greek Festival for Agios Panteleimon, celebrating Kalymnian culture at the Kalymnian Brotherhood.

Pictures: GLENN CAMPBELL

Kostas Nicolakis prepares barbecued octopus at the Greek Festival and (inset) Stefania Kampouris, 5, and a traditional dance routine.