Home » NewHampshire.com » NH People
August 19. 2012 1:13AM
Lesley Barnette, left, of Manchester, and Cary Gosselin, of Lawrence, Mass., dance to the music during Greekfest Saturday afternoon at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Manchester. (JOSH GIBNEY/UNION LEADER)
Fun, family, food at Greekfest 2012
Lesley Barnette, left, of Manchester, and Cary Gosselin, of Lawrence, Mass., dance to the music during Greekfest Saturday afternoon at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church in Manchester. (JOSH GIBNEY/UNION LEADER)
Most New Hampshire Union Leader photographs are available for purchase, as are full page reproductions of the newspaper.
MANCHESTER - Waiting for his daughter, Libby, to get a rainbow painted on her face, Scott Gagnon recounted his afternoon meal at Greekfest 2012 on Saturday.
“I had everything,” he said at The Assumption Greek Orthodox Church on Island Pond Road.
Grape leaves, meatballs and lamb were part of his combination plate.
“It's all good,” the Manchester father said.
By the time the two-day festival wraps up at 7 p.m. Sunday, the church will have prepared 1,000 pounds of lamb, 600 pounds of chicken, 300 pounds of rice and 1,680 pieces of sticky baklava.
Costas Georgopoulos, parish president and Greekfest chairman, said about 8,000 people attend the weekend celebration, which serves as the church's largest fundraiser.
“It's really the city of Manchester that comes to share our cultural experience,” he said.
Beverly Youree of Manchester gave her lamb dish a thumb's up.
“We came for the food,” she said. “I never eat lamb, but the way it's cooked is excellent,” she said.
Youree said she hits both Greekfest and another Greek festival in Manchester, Glendi, in September.
Greekfest shared the day with Latino Fest and Mahrajan, a regional Middle Eastern cultural festival.
“I made all three,” Mayor Ted Gatsas said in between bites of grilled lamb. And he hoped to hit two of them again today.
The festival offered a few distractions from eating, including $5 pony rides and various vendors.
Harold Brewster, president of Art of the Lands in Gorham, sold beaded jewelry from Greece, starting at $2, and nesting dolls from Russia, some with price tags topping $400.
“Earlier, we had a lot of people buying,” he said around mid-afternoon. “Now, more are looking, but some are buying.”
Jane Paquette of Windham is a Glendi veteran but a first-timer at Greekfest.
“This is more family-oriented, more cozy,” she said. She purchased a bracelet, as well as post cards featuring pictures of Greek scenes.
“Of course, we started with the food,” she said, ticking off lamb, rice and salad. “A gyro and baklava on the way out.”
Mike Cousineau may be reached at mcousineau@unionleader.com.
“I had everything,” he said at The Assumption Greek Orthodox Church on Island Pond Road.
Grape leaves, meatballs and lamb were part of his combination plate.
“It's all good,” the Manchester father said.
By the time the two-day festival wraps up at 7 p.m. Sunday, the church will have prepared 1,000 pounds of lamb, 600 pounds of chicken, 300 pounds of rice and 1,680 pieces of sticky baklava.
Costas Georgopoulos, parish president and Greekfest chairman, said about 8,000 people attend the weekend celebration, which serves as the church's largest fundraiser.
“It's really the city of Manchester that comes to share our cultural experience,” he said.
Beverly Youree of Manchester gave her lamb dish a thumb's up.
“We came for the food,” she said. “I never eat lamb, but the way it's cooked is excellent,” she said.
Youree said she hits both Greekfest and another Greek festival in Manchester, Glendi, in September.
Greekfest shared the day with Latino Fest and Mahrajan, a regional Middle Eastern cultural festival.
“I made all three,” Mayor Ted Gatsas said in between bites of grilled lamb. And he hoped to hit two of them again today.
The festival offered a few distractions from eating, including $5 pony rides and various vendors.
Harold Brewster, president of Art of the Lands in Gorham, sold beaded jewelry from Greece, starting at $2, and nesting dolls from Russia, some with price tags topping $400.
“Earlier, we had a lot of people buying,” he said around mid-afternoon. “Now, more are looking, but some are buying.”
Jane Paquette of Windham is a Glendi veteran but a first-timer at Greekfest.
“This is more family-oriented, more cozy,” she said. She purchased a bracelet, as well as post cards featuring pictures of Greek scenes.
“Of course, we started with the food,” she said, ticking off lamb, rice and salad. “A gyro and baklava on the way out.”
- - - - - - - -
Mike Cousineau may be reached at mcousineau@unionleader.com.
NH People
- Maple Street skate park revamp plans amping up in Manchester - 0
- Congo war's legacy follows survivor to NH - 0
- ‘Ellen’ helps reunite NH military family via Internet - 0
- Help Combat Invasive Plants; Loaner Tools & Statewide Web Resource - 0
- Cranmore Opens for Spring/Summer Operations on May 25 - 0
- 29th Annual Chowder Fest Kicks-Off Summer on June 1st - 0
- Bedford condo shows high style in a smaller space - 0
- Memorial Day Observances 2013 - 0
- No big Powerball winners in NH, but tidy sums taken - 0