Students in Catawba College’s honors program had the unique experience of attending the Yiasou Greek festival in downtown Charlotte on Saturday, September the 6th. Around forty students in total attended the event along with Dr. Feeney, Dr. Hake, and Dr. Holtzman.

For entertainment, there were dance performances on two different stages and choral performances of Greek hymns inside the church. To purchase, there were several small shops with trinkets, clothing and jewelry, rides and games for kids and several delicious food items. Every hour on the hour, the church doors opened for attendees of the festival to take in the breathe-taking beauty of the floor to ceiling paintings and stained glass. One of the tastiest pastries at the festival was the Loukoumades, which were made of fried dough that had been soaked in honey and sprinkled with cinnamon and powdered sugar.

The festival was held at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church established in 1953 and the festival was established in 1977. Averaging around 60,000 people a year, the small four-day festival has become quite the hit and was even featured in Charlotte magazines BOB (Best Of the Best) Awards in 2012 and 2013. The Yiasou festival celebrates Greek culture and heritage and is open to anyone.