Review for Boise Greek Festival only. Disclaimer - I am not nor have ever claimed to be of Greek…read moredescent so please take this review with a grain of Mediterranean Sea salt.
First off my family has had a tradition of attending a Greek festival every year since around 2001. We just love the food, the music, the dancing, the energy and the excitement. Also we happened to live near a Greek Orthodox Church that offered an ever increasingly epic Greek festival each year in Long Beach, Ca. In addition to that festival I have been to a few others, but they are not all created equal. So without further ado, here is my breakdown of the BGF:
LOCATION: The church is located in the Northend, south of State, on the cross streets of 27th and Bannock. Overall, a pretty central and easy to access spot to hold a festival - plus there aren't any parking restrictions in the neighborhood adjacent to it so just look for an available spot to park and then enjoy checking out the historic little craftsman homes along the tree lined streets a block/few blocks walk to the festival. Alternatively you can ride your bike and park it out front of the church in the "bike parking" roped off section.
VENUE: The look of this festival is as buttoned up as it could be within the confines of the church's campus. Crisp white tents with royal blue accents transport you right to Santorini. The entrance is clearly marked and a volunteer dressed in white hands out menus and flyers. There is a booth up front to pay your donation - $2/per person (standard Greek Fest admission). You can also exchange money for tokens with which to purchase food. This casino chip style is a new idea that I've seen at any festival. Is it to make payment easier? Or so that it will be easier to spend on food and drinks? They HAVE AN ATM on site which you can use to get money to purchase chips. There can be a line at that ATM so be prepared. Also, any chips you do not use, they will change back to cash for you when you leave, so don't freak out.
Though the location itself is central, this venue is definitely experiencing some growing pains! Lines for food were long at various times and spots to dine under the tents were beginning to become more scarce as you hit what I call the "Peak Greek" hours - after 7pm. And from what I could tell, they had added seating in just about every space they could squeeze it in, to the point it appeared to be crowding in on the Dancefloor.
My own personal suggestion would be to host this event someplace more spacious next year. People will definitely appreciate the extra elbow room
FOOD - despite being on a more restrictive gut-healing diet this year, there were still some items on the menu I could thoroughly enjoy - mainly the chicken Souvlaki. Which is basically marinated chicken (lemon, oregano, vinegar) on skewers grilled on the BBQ. Seriously this is so simple and SO delicious! I had it with a little side of kalamata olives because they are tangy, meaty, salty little bites of heaven!
My husband and I are obsessed with dolmathes - but I couldn't try them this year so he did for me. These are savory little dumpling-like sides that are rice and beef wrapped in grape leaves and marinated in something delicious. They had run out of rice pilafi by the time we got there (around 6pm) to eat so we got extra sides instead.
If you want to arrive starving or don't like crowds, don't visit during typical eating times like 1pm or during Peak Greek fest time 7pm or after. Try to arrive before then to secure food and a spot to eat it - especially if you are going with a large group as seating is communal and first-come first served. Be prepared to spend about $15 per person for basic meals.
MUSIC music was provided by a small band offering traditional Greek music selections. From what I could see it looked like two guys - one playing the keyboard and another playing a traditional string instrument - mandolin? Balalaika? I'm not sure the name. The man who played the instrument walked around the tables as he played so you could see the instrument. Overall pretty cool, volume and musical selection were great, but it didn't feel like a full on band which I am used to. Maybe I didn't see the rest of the band??
DANCING Well, I will be honest, I didn't get a chance to see the dancing or participate - yes I love to link arms and attempt to dance along!! The musicians went for a break around the time we arrived and we had to run a few errands so we left early. But I gotta say...the Dancefloor was very tight and kind of awkwardly between tent posts for this kind of dancing which usually takes a lot of space. Greek dancers usually link arms/shoulders or hold hands in one continuous snake and weave about the Dancefloor.
Overall this Greek festival still has that feeling of hometown authenticity, but it is beginning to struggle with scale as Boiseans discover the wonders of Greek hospitality and enthusiasm. I will definitely be here next year for #37!
