An annual festival put on by Ottawa’s Greek community will return this August in a virtual format.
The Ottawa Greek Festival, also known as Greek Fest and FestiGrec, will feature pick-up Greek dishes from a central location with support from the associated Kouzin restaurant. The menu will include local favourites like moussaka, lamb on the pin and loukomades.
There will also be a number of live-streamed events through the Greek Festival’s Facebook and Instagram pages. These events will include cooking lessons and the popular Zorba dancers. Last year’s event also included a virtual online store for crafts and other items with Greek aesthetics or heritage, which could return this year.
Greek Fest held its first virtual event last year, which was nominated for Best Food Event in Faces Magazine’s Ottawa Awards, and it looks to build on that template for a successful second edition. Money was raised for continuing the annual festival through a “My Big Fat Greek Raffle” event earlier this year, with prizes of up to $10,000, supported by the Hellenic Community of Ottawa.
Cultural and food-based festivals, often promoted through means like flyer printing and word of mouth, have had to adjust to social distancing, but they have continued connecting with their community through virtual and distanced events.
The 2021 edition of Ottawa Greek Fest will take place across two weekends, August 13 to 15 and August 20 to 22. Food pick-up will take place at 1315 Prince of Wales Drive, while other programming will take place virtually.
