The 51st annual New Orleans Greek Festival, themed “Your Odyssey Begins Here,” kicked off after a 90-minute delay, with attendees prepared to celebrate Greek culture despite the gloomy weather.
“We were like, we are going to come rain or shine,” said Isabella Bezou, an attendee who comes every year. “New Orleans is really hot, so the rain cools it down. It’s nice to get a break.”
While the rain poured, the indoor Greek Market was lively, featuring Hellenic dancers and vendors selling sweet and savory treats.
“I was born in Greece, came in 1941 from Argos,” said Nicki Poulos, an attendee who traveled to New Orleans from California for the weekend. “This is a nice opportunity to find out what it is to be a Greek and carry on our traditions across the United States from the East Coast to the West Coast.”
Organizers said this year marks the festival’s first cashless event, which has made vendor lines more efficient.
“It’s very flattering that people want to see what Greek music is like, what Greek wine is like,” said Laura Toras, executive committee for the Greek Festival. “When you get to do that all for the bargain price of $10?”
Toras said Saturday’s festivities will be delayed until noon due to another rainy forecast, but they don’t anticipate the weekend will be completely rained out.
