On Sept. 24, the spirit of the Greeks is set to infuse Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at the 2011 Greek Festival.
Festivities will run from 11 a.m.- 7 p.m. They will open with a blessing from Father Luke Uhl, long-standing priest of the church. Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is a cultural structure that has stood near the Horizon Drive roundabout for nearly 60 years. The festival is located at 3585 N. Eighth St. Tours of the church will begin at 11:30 a.m. and will be led every hour by an iconographer, someone who interprets the traditional or conventional symbols of a subject. Event Coordinator Georgann Jouflas spoke of the benefits of having the festival.
“The main purpose to me is just to build fellowship of the church,” Jouflas said.
Feasts and spoils will be sold to tantalize the senses. There will be gyros, greek salads, tsouvlaki, and spanakopita for sale. Skewered sticks of chicken or pork will offer a substitute for lamb. Rice pilaf, greek olives, feta, and green beans will also be available. The last and final dish can come before the meal or during the grand finale. It is an appetizer platter of dolmathis, sliced feta and a well-known serving of Greek olives.
Dancing will begin at noon in the parking lot near the roundabout and proceed throughout the day. Among the performers will be a teenage dance group from Cathedral Church of Denver. The Syrtos, also called the dragging dance, and the Hasapiko, are both nationally known among Greeks, and will fall into the array of performances. More information on both of these dances can be found at www.phantomnranch.net. Jouflas spoke highly of the aspects of the church most important to her.
“My grandparents, who came from Greece, helped found the church,” Jouflas said.
The Blackburns, Jouflas, and Williams along with many other families are responsible for starting the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. The church now contains a healthy mix of Ukrainians, Greeks, Converted Catholics, Russians, and many others. When Orthodox Christianity came to western Colorado at the head of the 1900s, so did the first Greeks. Some settled in Meeker, Craig and Price, Utah, to find work in the mines. Eventually they worked their way to Grand Junction and Paonia as ranchers and herders.
“Most of the Greeks in this area emigrated from the same part of Greece,” Jouflas said.
All proceeds from food, drink, the single dollar entry fee, and gift sales will be going to Grand Valley Catholic Outreach and the Teen Shelter. During the last five years the Greek Festival has raised and donated over $15,000 to community non profits such as Marillac Clinic, Homefront Heroes, Salvation Army, Hospice, and The Western Colorado Community Foundation.

rversaw@mavs.coloradomesa.edu