By Judy Shuler
After a three-year COVID-imposed break, Jamestown’s St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church will host its 38th annual Yassou Festival with Greek music, dance and food.
“This is the 100th anniversary of our parish, so we are just in a celebratory mood! It’s going to be our best quality festival ever,” says Alexis Singleton, one of the event organizers. “We have streamlined so many of the processes, and really focused in on those items we do best.”
It will again fall on Father’s Day weekend, Friday and Saturday, June 17 and 18. Hours 11am-pm Friday and 11am-9pm Saturday under the big tent, rain or shine. Tours of the church, at Mount Vernon Place and Francis Place, will be offered both days at 2 and 6pm.
The performing arts, music and dance, are carriers of traditions. For Greeks, folk dancing ties them to their past and their future. Both in Greece and wherever they have immigrated throughout the world, they dance to express everyday life and celebrate special occasions from baptisms to weddings. Most dances in America are circle dances, starting with the right foot and moving counterclockwise. Each dancer is linked by a handkerchief or by holding hands, wrists or shoulders. The common “Circle” dance is part of Greek tradition dating back to the Byzantine period, 330-1453 CE.
There will be live Bouzouki music by The Ageans, a Greek band from Rochester, and Yassou Dancers will perform at 3pm, 5pm, 7pm and 9pm on Friday and 1pm, 3pm, 5pm and 7pm on Saturday. The Ageans include the traditional Greek bouzouki among their instruments. A member of the long-necked lute family with steel strings, the bouzouki is played with a pick, reminiscent of a mandolin but with lower pitch.
Souvlaki-on-a-stick sandwich will join traditional entrees like gyros, spanakopita, pastitsio, Greek salads, and George’s Famous Greek Hot Dogs. And for sweets, baklava, kourambiedes and koulourakia. Greek beer and wine will be available. All food will be made from scratch in the church’s certified kitchen, nothing is ordered pre-made, says Singleton.
This year they are planning a different traffic pattern inside the tent “to minimize waiting in line and reduce the opportunity for food to be exposed to humans. We’ve also added a lot more tables to allow more room for people to spread out.”
A Greek boutique will offer tees, Greek fisherman hats, dresses, jewelry and more. Two admission tables are planned to reduce waiting time to enter and credit cards will be accepted for all purchases. Admission is $3, with children under 12 free. More information is available at stnicholasjamestown.org and on Facebook.