Melbourne's Greek community festival nearly lost its Saturday to the weather, then carried on.
The 11th Oakleigh Glendi ran at Warrawee Park in Oakleigh on Saturday 31 October and Sunday 1 November.
At 3.26pm on Saturday, heavy rain and lightning around the park had organisers seriously considering calling the festival off. "It was raining and there was lightning in the area. It would have been dangerous to continue," Greek Orthodox Community of Oakleigh and District president Chris Damatopoulos told Neos Kosmos. The rain stopped in time and the program went on.
Greek singer Kelly Kelekidou headlined Saturday night from 7.30pm, and the day finished with a 10-minute fireworks display. Saturday also featured Korean, Serbian, Russian and Cretan dance groups after a Welcome to Country. Sunday focused on Greek community schools and cultural associations, closing with Maria Maroulis on the main stage.
Also on
- Souvlaki, loukoumades and other Greek and international food
- A loukoumades-eating competition on both days
- A Cooking Stage, Kids Kingdom, carnival rides and an Artisan Market
Organisers estimate nearly 50,000 people came across the two days, which would be a record; the figure has not been confirmed. Last year's festival drew about 20,000.
Damatopoulos also warned that grants from the City of Monash and the Victorian Government do not cover even half the festival's costs. "The authorities need to support us," he said.
