Over the weekend I walked to San Diego’s Greek Festival.
These were some of the flowers I passed on my walk over.
It was a gorgeous weekend for an outdoor festival!
Ok, it’s actually a smidge too chilly for me with no humidity and “only” 69F temps but I know most people think that’s perfect. Add 20 degrees and I’ll be happier.
The festival was held a local Greek Orthodox Church.
I run or walk by this Church almost daily and finally had my camera with and could make some photos.
It’s an annual event and ironically, this was the weekend, last year, that we moved back to San Diego after our brief, 9-month stint in Phoenix. This weekend, last year, we moved back to San Diego; just one, singular day after my fitness show and competition <–link with photos.
I look back at Phoenix, the show, packing and the move, and the timing of it all and think boy, that was a lot of work and I am glad that was then, and this is now!
In typical festival nature there was plenty of food!
And it was all homemade or handmade, fresh and made on the spot.
These iced frappes looked so good…
But I had just drank a vanilla iced coffee at the house..
…and didn’t want to be too wired up!
There was also Greek music playing, a beer garden, and some artwork showcasing, you guessed it, Greece and the Greek Isles.
There were some Greek-themed cookbooks and kitchen items for sale.
A wooden spoon handmade in Greece from olive wood. Gorgeous! I’d be scared to even use it for fear of ruining it.
It was a fun event where old and young, people from all walks of life and diverse ethnic backgrounds all seemed to be having a fabulous time!
And the best part was that I walked there. No car required.
It made me want to rush home and make some Hummus
vegan, 4 ingredients, 5 minutesOr roast some chickpeas for Carmelized Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpea “Peanuts”
I’m glad the No Bake Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites were a hit from my last post! Foodgawker and Tasteologie liked them too, which made me happy.
Most of you said you enjoy coconut and coconut-containing recipes. That’s awesome! Let me know if you happen to try this recipe.
Questions:
1. Best thing you ate or did over the weekend?
Between the Greek Festival and the coconut chocolate chip cookie dough bites , and one other thing (next post!) I had a great weekend!
2. Have you ever been to a Greek food festival or a food festival featuring a particular type of food? Or any street fairs or local fairs?
I have been to so many types of food festivals and outdoor street fairs with food from the Taste of Chicago (a massively huge event in Chicago, hundreds of thousands of people attend, spanning miles of city blocks, and it lasts many days, and you can get just about every kind of ethnic food from Vietnamese to Moroccan to giant turkey legs and there’s music, too.)
I’ve also been to “Oktoberfests” (in the US, not in Germany) and German festivals because growing up in MN with a heavy German population, they was common.
I also love Renaissance Fairs (even though they can be a little over the top sometimes) but they’re fun for an afternoon.
Last weekend in San Diego was Taste of Little Italy and although we were in Aruba this year, I’ve been to it in past years.
And I’ve been to tons more food festivals, too!
When I was growing up, the state fair and local county fairs were The Thing To Do in the summer. I have such great memories of them!
3. Do you like outdoor festivals or fairs?
Blends my other question, but yes, I love them!
Something about walking around outside, people watching, hearing the sounds of the crowd and smelling the food that’s being made, I just love taking it all in!
Not having to struggle with parking and having a great sunny weather and not sweltering temps are added bonuses.
P.S. If you’re just catching up on posts, here are mine since Friday:
- No Bake Coconut & Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
- Powder
- Chores & Goodies
- Rock the Boat
- Comforts of Home
- Blogging 103
The song, “I’m so excited. I just can’t hide it…” is playing in my head right now. It has something to do with this. Next post, an update.
Have a great week!
OMG, girl! The Greek festival pics are SO gorgeous! You totally own outdoor photography. Seriously. The pictures are so crisp and clear, I love them! I love the frappe pics, the one with someone holding it. Submit that one. The blues and whites… just stunning. Your work gets better and better with each set. Yay! :D
Never been to a Greek festival but want to! We have signs for them all over the place, one BIG one takes place every year in Middletown. I might just check it out this time. The food looks so tempting.
69F… YES, please! It’s cool here now but just heard another heat wave is coming. Sigh.
I had to scroll up again to look at the pretty blue and white photos. Just beautiful. :)
thank you jenn!
i was taking those pics on the fly…like, totally…some of them turned out so well and i agree the man holding that frappe…I was kinda proud of that one :)
I am practicing for Mex City :) Glad I make a good outdoor photographer since that’s what im gonna be doing there!
thank you so.much. for the kind words!
We just held the first ever Wokai Iron Chef Cookoff! Best thing so far this weekend. Street festivals and fairs are awesome!
I love anything outside! We have a local Taiwanese culture night that I am so excited to go to! We are adopting from Taiwan and I am enjoying learning about our future daughters culture!
Brooke Annessa
http://www.theannessafamily.blogspot.com
what a lovely story!
That Greek festival looks like so much fun! and I’m sure the food is terrific. Best thing I ate hands down was a blackberry-custard tart my sister made. She had a big college grad party and made even more desserts than there were food! She also made a chocolate chip cheesecake with dark chocolate ganache topped with chocolate covered strawberries… INSANE :)
Looks like fun! My in-laws are straight off the boat Greek so I’ve been to my fair share of Greek festivals. I actually love them, especially the Loukamades (fried dough balls with honey and walnuts on top) omg, to die for!
Outdoor festivals are so much fun! I wish there were more near me and/or at least one that was walking distance from my place. I’ve never been to a greek festival, but I love greek food and their culture. Looks like a fun time!
So jealous of your weather! i think the high 60’s-low70’s is my ideal temp. We reached 99 or 100 hundred today. It’s so strange to see that other places are still in the 40’s or 50’s.
That festival looks fun. We have something like that in Boston but it’s an Italian fest. During Saint Antony’s fest Boston’s north end is packed with street venders, music and anything and everything Italian.
(I’m with you on the temperature thing, I like the heat, 80’s is perfect for me!)
Hey Averie!
Nice pics of the festival! If you ever have a chance to go to Greece, go! I went last year for the first time (took a cruise, so we could easily hit up a few Greek isles – not aisles ;-) ). With the blue sky, the blue water and every building painted white, wow-oh-wow, what beauty!
There’s a huge Greek Festival in my city each summer, which I’ve been to a handful of times.
Best thing I ate over the weekend? Frozen yogurt (first one of the season!)
xo
Sabina
I fixed the typo. I’ve slept about 8 hours total..in the past 3 days. About 3 hrs a night :) And back to working FT so the typos have been happening a lil more than I’d like.
your photo galleries are expanding! congrats on all the accepted photos, that doesn’t get old, does it? :D
I love outdoor festivals… I love greek food… I love your beautiful weather… I love that bright white church that looks like it’s straight out of Greece!
No never gets old. I think I am a slave to them. I shoot based on what I think they want, too. I admit it. TS doesnt accept me as much as FG and TO do b/c my style is not really their style. Then again, I dont know anyone who regularly gets TS accepts. They are sooo elusive. And hard to read! :)
I completely agree! I could drive myself crazy trying to figure out why one of my photos gets rejected and another one is accepted? ;)
What a fun time! That church is just gorgeous! And I love gyros + baklava. I need to find something like that going on around here!
Best thing I ate over the weekend: banana cream cheesecake at the wedding yesterday — it was so smooth and creamy!
I love how the sky and church are so pretty together! :)
Best thing I ate this weekend – Dim Sum! I love the assortment of authentic Chinese dishes. The bok choy was especially good.
And I love Greek festivals! Festivals in general are so fun. I just love checking them out. The Greek one always has some of the best food, though! And that frappe IS good. Very strong, but very good. ;)
hi diana! good to hear from you..hope you’re doing great!
I always attend our local Greek festival – so much fun!!
SO jealous of your Greek food BANANZA!! Is bananza a word? hmmph.
Anywayssss, best thing is about to be a fresh, ripe MANGO in about 10 minutes.
i’ve been reading your blog almost a year – i missed this weekend LAST year, so thanks for sharing how CRAZY it was. yup, good to have a more “festive” weekend this year!
there is a greek festival in my ‘hood next weekend; it’s annual, but i’ve never been. really should – it’d be a great New Experience!
Love your photos and the glorious sunshine. but i’m with you: 89 degrees is just getting comfortable! so glad you could get out and enjoy the fun atmosphere. have a great eve!
I used to LOVE Greek food. We would go out to a Greek restaurant to eat all the time. I miss the spinokopita, baklava, and moussaka.
I’m so excited- my town’s Greek festival is in two weeks!