Inaugural Greek Festival to land on the Bellarine

PORTARLINGTON will come alive in November when the first Greek Festival takes place in the Bellarine town.

To run on November 2, the inaugural event will celebrate all things Greek and Australian culture, showcasing and selling works from makers, live music, belly dancing, plenty of food options, ouzo, and more.

Festival organiser Alexandria Dascarellos said she wanted everyone to head along to the festival to have a fantastic time.

“As people say, there’s no better place for a Greek festival than in Portarlington.

“It’s about uniting us all, because at the moment the world is full of misery and everyone I’ve spoken to said they’re coming, and they want a bit of respite and enlightenment in their life.

“It’s also about uniting people of all cultures, all demographics, uniting the world and everyone is welcome.”

Ms Dascarellos also runs the local makers’ markets, with the weekend events part of the inspiration behind the Greek festival.

While the markets often stop her from going to festivals in Melbourne, she decided to create her own festival in Portarlington.

“Australia is a mix of cultures and I thought ‘Why can’t we bring it to the Bellarine?’ she said.

“We desperately need more cultural events.

“We need to celebrate people’s culture, to break down ignorance… we need more acceptance and tolerance of everyone’s culture in this world.”

Entry to the festival is free but donations are welcome to cover the expenses of the event. Ms Dascarellos hopes she will be able to give some of the donations to the victims of recent bushfires in Greece.

The festival will run from 10am until 5pm at 86 Newcomb Street and W.G Little Reserve.