Explore cultures during Greek, Hispanic festivals

The Augusta community can experience the food, heritage and music of the Greek and Hispanic cultures at weekend festivals.

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Starting Friday, the 21st annual Greek Festival will begin at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Each year, the church is transformed into a small Greek village, and the free event attracts more than 20,000 people.

"Among the festivals, it's one of the most popular of the year for people in the CSRA. It's become a fall tradition. We want everybody to come out and help us celebrate our Hellenic culture and share it with the community. There's lots of things to do, lots of things to look at," said festival chairwoman Debi Ballas.

Entertainment will be nonstop during the three-day event, including A Night in Athens, a Greek band that will perform traditional folk music. In between the live entertainment, a DJ will play Greek music "to keep the party going," Ballas said.

The Greek Festival will also feature local dance troupes, Odyssey and Philoxenia, that will perform a variety of traditional dances from Greece with costume changes for each performance. A belly dancer will perform, and there will be free children's rides and a playground.

"There is always an array of our delicious foods," Ballas said.

Visitors can enjoy authentic Greek cuisine, such as lamb, Greek chicken, Gyros and pastries, along with Greek beer and wine. Vendors also will be selling sterling silver jewelry, pewter giftware, needlework, Greek souvenirs, hand-painted pottery, religious icons and books. Holy Trinity's store will sell Greek specialty food items and gifts.

A free program will contain requested recipes and articles about Hellenic history, Orthodox tradition and more.

Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church will present church tours and an iconography workshop to educate about the Orthodox Christian faith and tradition.

THE 18TH ANNUAL Hispanic Festival will be held Saturday and Sunday at Augusta Common. The festival will feature Latino bands, dances by folkloric groups, belly dancing, authentic food stands from several countries and arts and crafts. There will also be activities for children and other attractions for families, according to the Hispanic American Cultural Association's Web site.

The festival is held in October to coincide with Hispanic Heritage Month, which lasts from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, said Edwin Perez, one of the directors of the Hispanic American Cultural Association. The month "honors the diverse people of Spanish-speaking backgrounds in the United States," he said.

During the festival, bands will play music from Northern Mexico, salsa, merengue and reggaeton, Perez said.

Superior Academy in Evans will give dance lessons and provide martial arts demonstrations. The Augusta Tango Club will also perform.

On Saturday, visitors can watch the Miss Latina Pageant, which awards scholarships to the winners. Contestants must be a high school or university student who demonstrates interest in the Spanish language and Hispanic culture.

The Hispanic American Cultural Association has organized the Augusta event since 1992. Perez has been involved for six years.

"I can tell that everybody that attends is always delighted to be there. I hear many, many positive comments," Perez said.