Ten years on and going strong: Cyprus Festival of SA delights locals
Source: NEOS KOSMOS
The Cyprus Festival of South Australia delivered a hearty celebration for thousands as it honoured ten years since its first edition, a significant milestone they hope to be one of many heading towards the future.
The festival, organised by the Cyprus Community of South Australia (CCSA), took place this past weekend (1-2 February) with huge numbers flowing through across the two-day event, engaging in food, music, dancing and more.
“The event was exceptional,” CCSA President Andreas Evdokiou told Neos Kosmos.
“It was a wonderful weekend full of ‘glendi’, eating and drinking and plenty of wonderful people,” he said, adding that he estimates roughly 5,000 poured through across the weekend.
Professor Evdokiou noted that the 10-year anniversary dawned on him a lot upon reflecting on the event.
“I did not believe the festival would last 10 years. In my opinion, it is one of the better festivals in SA. People have embraced it and loved it,” he said.
The CCSA President expressed his delight with the engagement the Festival has received, particularly from the younger generations.
“What moves me the most with this festival, including this year’s edition, is seeing a sea of young people dancing Greek dances. This is a chance for these kids to show/exhibit their Greekness, and I am very proud about this fact,” he said.
The event featured numerous artists from Cyprus as part of its entertainment, including musicians Christos Sikkis and Stephanos Pelekanis, who delighted the thousands of attendees.
Professor Evdokiou stated his delight with the warm atmosphere that has been cultivated at the event through the help of all the people and supporters of the event.
“Both the site and the way the festival is organised brings a warmth to the festival so it is more a traditional Greek paniyiri as it is known in both Cyprus and in Greece,” he said.
“I want to thank all the volunteers, both the younger and the older people want to come to help us, because they love this festival so much because they feel that it is also theirs.”
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