Yassou! celebrates the culture and traditions of the Greek Orthodox people. There’s something for everyone — from a great, live band and dance demonstrations, to wine tastings and cooking classes. The food is to die for — appetizers, full meals, sandwiches and side items — and you won’t want to miss the baklava. Trinkets beckon from vendors’ stalls.
Be sure to join hands with members of the dancing circle and dance! Beginners are always welcome. Traditional Greek dancing brings the community together at key points of the year, such as Easter, the grape harvest or patronal festivals; and at key points in the lives of individuals and families, such as weddings.
Yassou! will be held at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 330 Lakeside Dr. NE between Fulton and Michigan. Limited numbers of handicapped spots will be provided within steps of the main admission. Beyond that, nearly 1,000 parking spaces have been reserved within the immediate vicinity of the event. An air-conditioned shuttle is available to transport festival-goers to the event.
For bus riders, Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is conveniently located within steps of a Grand Rapids ‘Rapid’ bus stop– bus Route 14 to be exact.
This year, Yassou! will be supporting the Children’s Advocacy Center of Kent County (CAC) as its charity sponsor. The CAC is a nonprofit, community-based organization that is dedicated to the awareness and reduction of child sexual abuse. For more information, go here.
“My first experiences with Festival was going down and making a big sculpture that I was very proud of in the glue-in section,” said Festival of the Arts’ new interim director David Abbottt. “And I remember my parents carrying it back home in the back of a station wagon and the amount of glue that was in the back of that station wagon. (A little smile.) It is certainly a memory.”
It is those types of memories that Festival of the Arts and the WKTV VOICES hope to capture during a new partnership designed to help the arts organization celebrate its upcoming 50th anniversary. The VOICES vintage Airstream trailer, which is a a local and regional oral history project that collects, preserves and shares stories form everyday residents of West Michigan, will be at this year’s 49th Festival of the Arts, set for June 1, 2, and 3. The trailer will be there to collect stories from Festival volunteers and participants.
David Abbott, Festival’s Interim Director
“We are hoping to capture the best memories people have of the event,” Abbott said.
Memories like a young boy’s first taste of the Greek favorite souvlaki.
“Growing up I had never had the opportunity to try anything different, to try anything new,” Abbott said. “I remember that souvlaki that very first year that I had it.”
The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is one of the oldest non-profit food vendors at Festival, still providing souvlaki — usually seasoned grilled meat on a skewer served in a bun — at Festival, which for many has become a tradition. This year, the church will be joined by 18 other non-profit food vendors, many of which rely on Festival as their major funding source for the year.
“I have been a part of Festival for really all of my life, singing in high school, singing in church choirs, being at calder Plaza with the Gay Men’s Chorus. It’s been a fantastic ride and I am honored to be able to have this position to provide leadership.”
Abbott easily admits he is excited to be part of an organization that has offered so much to the community and largely has been organized and hosted by all volunteers. Abbott’s is the organization’s first employee.
“For many of those [49] years we were known as the largest all-volunteer run festival in the United States of America and it really is because of Grand Rapids that we are able to do this year after year after year,” he said.
While Abbott is starting to think about the 50th Festival of the Arts, he is more focused on the upcoming 49th event set for June 1, 2, and 3 in downtown Grand Rapids and has been working with this year’s co-chairs Jessi Nix Gould and Missy Bush. The 49th Festival of the Arts encompasses Rosa Parks Circle, the plaza that is home to Calder’s La Grande Vitesse, and Kendall College of Ferris State University’s gallery on Pearl Street, where the Regional Arts Exhibit will be showcased.
And what is Abbott excited about for this year’s event?
“One of the co-chairs Jessi Nix Gould developed a partnership with the Grand Rapids Com-Con featuring comic book artists right in Rosa Parks Circle,” Abbott said. “They are going to be featuring a costume contest both on Friday and Saturday.”
Also this year, an anonymous donor came forward wanting to host a photo contest of the Sixth Street Bridge to celebrate the bridge’s history, Abbott said. One of the oldest bridges in the city, the Sixth Street Bridge was constructed in 1886 and was one of the first to cross the Grand River.
The smell of lemon, oregano and garlic fill the air as fresh meats are grilled over open flames and the sight of the pastry table proves to be more than anyone’s willpower could bear. From a great live band and dance demonstrations, to wine tastings and cooking classes, there is something for everyone at Yassou!
The food
An assortment of freshly prepared authentic Greek food and pastries will tempt even the most stubborn palate. Great effort has been put into obtaining fresh, local ingredients wherever possible, from the eggplant in the Moussaka, to the tomatoes that go on your Gyros and in your salad.
Choose from appetizers, full meals, sandwiches and side items. And do not forget dessert — baklava is only the beginning. Menu items are available as complete meals or a la carte. Prices range from $5 for most a la carte items to $14 for most complete meals.
The dance
Besides irresistible Greek food, there will be plenty of Greek dancing, a very old tradition that has been documented by Plato, Aristotle, Plutarch and Lucian. Traditional Greek dancing has a primarily social function, bringing the community together at key points of the year, such as Easter, the grape harvest or patronal festivals; and at key points in the lives of individuals and families, like weddings.
Photo by Tim Motley
Holy Trinity’s youth dancers will don traditional Grecian dress and perform some of these spectacular dances. Then, when the time is right, join hands with members of the dancing circle and join in. Beginners are always welcome.
The wine (and beer)
Greece is one of the oldest wine producing regions in the world — evidence of wine production dates back more than 6,500 years. Since that time, wines have been shared and enjoyed not only in households, but in communal celebrations. And what cultural celebration would be complete without access to the local libations?
Here’s what’s happening and when
Friday, August 26, 2016: 3 -10 pm
Live music from open to close, The Levendes.
4 pm: Greek cooking class.
5 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (12-17 y/o).
6 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (5-12 y/o).
7 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (12-17+).
8:15 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (18+).
8:35 pm: Dance lessons and open dancing for all!
8:00 pm: Children’s play area closes.
Saturday, August 27, 2016: 11 am – 10 pm
Live music from open to close, The Levendes.
1:00 pm: Greek cooking class.
2:30 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (12-17 y/o).
4:00 pm: Wine tasting.
5:00 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (12-17 y/o).
6:00 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (5-12 y/o).
6:00 pm: Greek cooking class.
7:15 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (12-17+).
8:15 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (18+).
8:35 pm: Dance lessons and open dancing for all!
8:00 pm: Children’s play area closes.
Sunday, August 28, 2016: 12-4 pm
No live band. DJ playing modern Greek music.
2:00 Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (5-12 y/o).
3:00 pm: Traditional Greek dance demonstrations (12-17 y/o).
OK, so you’ve been warned. The Yassou! Grand Rapids Greek Cultural Festival is always a crowd pleaser, and this year it’s happening Friday, Aug. 26 through Sunday, Aug. 28 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 330 Lakeside Dr. NE between Fulton and Michigan.
