Over the weekend I walked to San Diego’s Greek Festival.
These were some of the flowers I passed on my walk over.
It was a gorgeous weekend for an outdoor festival!
Ok, it’s actually a smidge too chilly for me with no humidity and “only” 69F temps but I know most people think that’s perfect. Add 20 degrees and I’ll be happier.
The festival was held a local Greek Orthodox Church.
I run or walk by this Church almost daily and finally had my camera with and could make some photos.
It’s an annual event and ironically, this was the weekend, last year, that we moved back to San Diego after our brief, 9-month stint in Phoenix. This weekend, last year, we moved back to San Diego; just one, singular day after my fitness show and competition <–link with photos.
I look back at Phoenix, the show, packing and the move, and the timing of it all and think boy, that was a lot of work and I am glad that was then, and this is now!
In typical festival nature there was plenty of food!
And it was all homemade or handmade, fresh and made on the spot.
These iced frappes looked so good…
But I had just drank a vanilla iced coffee at the house..
…and didn’t want to be too wired up!
There was also Greek music playing, a beer garden, and some artwork showcasing, you guessed it, Greece and the Greek Isles.
There were some Greek-themed cookbooks and kitchen items for sale.
A wooden spoon handmade in Greece from olive wood. Gorgeous! I’d be scared to even use it for fear of ruining it.
It was a fun event where old and young, people from all walks of life and diverse ethnic backgrounds all seemed to be having a fabulous time!
And the best part was that I walked there. No car required.
It made me want to rush home and make some Hummus
vegan, 4 ingredients, 5 minutesOr roast some chickpeas for Carmelized Cinnamon Sugar Roasted Chickpea “Peanuts”
I’m glad the No Bake Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites were a hit from my last post! Foodgawker and Tasteologie liked them too, which made me happy.
Most of you said you enjoy coconut and coconut-containing recipes. That’s awesome! Let me know if you happen to try this recipe.
Questions:
1. Best thing you ate or did over the weekend?
Between the Greek Festival and the coconut chocolate chip cookie dough bites , and one other thing (next post!) I had a great weekend!
2. Have you ever been to a Greek food festival or a food festival featuring a particular type of food? Or any street fairs or local fairs?
I have been to so many types of food festivals and outdoor street fairs with food from the Taste of Chicago (a massively huge event in Chicago, hundreds of thousands of people attend, spanning miles of city blocks, and it lasts many days, and you can get just about every kind of ethnic food from Vietnamese to Moroccan to giant turkey legs and there’s music, too.)
I’ve also been to “Oktoberfests” (in the US, not in Germany) and German festivals because growing up in MN with a heavy German population, they was common.
I also love Renaissance Fairs (even though they can be a little over the top sometimes) but they’re fun for an afternoon.
Last weekend in San Diego was Taste of Little Italy and although we were in Aruba this year, I’ve been to it in past years.
And I’ve been to tons more food festivals, too!
When I was growing up, the state fair and local county fairs were The Thing To Do in the summer. I have such great memories of them!
3. Do you like outdoor festivals or fairs?
Blends my other question, but yes, I love them!
Something about walking around outside, people watching, hearing the sounds of the crowd and smelling the food that’s being made, I just love taking it all in!
Not having to struggle with parking and having a great sunny weather and not sweltering temps are added bonuses.
P.S. If you’re just catching up on posts, here are mine since Friday:
- No Bake Coconut & Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
- Powder
- Chores & Goodies
- Rock the Boat
- Comforts of Home
- Blogging 103
The song, “I’m so excited. I just can’t hide it…” is playing in my head right now. It has something to do with this. Next post, an update.
Have a great week!
Gorgeous pictures and lovely festival! The paintings are amazing. I’m so with you on the weather, I need the heat :) I really enjoy going to festivals like this- its fun to sample different kinds of food, shop & just be outside!
That looks like so much fun! We just don’t really have stuff like that here. We did in Seattle though – I miss that. I think the more temperate weather gets people out and together more;) Now, important things: I am going to try your coconut cookie balls, um, NOW.
ok well you HAVE to go to the MN state fair…it’s not exactly high class but it IS fun and I loved going when I was growing up! Street food, people watching, I loved it!
So jealous! I’m a quarter Greek and I love everything Greek. :) Sounds like a lot of fun! Great pictures.
I have never really been to any festivals like that! It sounds fun. I do enjoy going to the Portland VegFest, but that won’t be until September and it’s indoors. The rose festival is technically going on right now, but you have to pay to get in and it’s really just not worth it. The rides, games and food are all way overpriced and I can’t eat pretty much anything anyway!
My hometown puts on a Greek festival every year and I LOVE it! My favorite are the gyros and those grape leaf things, dolmathes I think. I always feel like a slug after I eat all that, but it’s one of those special occasions where I usually feel it’s worth it. I love all outdoor festivals. Something about tents and music and delicious smells just makes my heart pitter patter.
Greek food is so tasty and always hits the spot. Working weekends at the paintball field we are too busy to hit the local Greek Festival when it comes around. But we love doing Greek take-out on Saturday after being at the paintball field all day. Yum!
That song has been running through my head since yesterday! The best thing I did this weekend was get my tickets to go to India in October and do some summer planning and gardening and of course yoga :)
My town has a Greek Festival every year, too and we also have a Seafood Festival because where I’m from in Florida is famous for fresh seafood.
Can’t wait for your next post noww!
you went to india? that’s my dream destination one day…I want to go so badly!
I haven’t gone yet but I bought my tickets to go this October! It’s like my dream come true :)
Wow – awesome pics. The Greek definitely have great food. Love the iced frappes and Greek salad. But I’m not a fan of baklava – to me, it’s just an insane (and not insane in a delicious way) concoction of fat, flour and sugar.
What a neat festival! This past weekend, I attended Taste of Music City — a vendor “fair” featuring 50 local restaurants that present a menu sampling at each of their respective booths. There was a LOT of food there – my only lament was there was very little whole food options and too many chains eateries.
I with you on the chilly 69degrees — however, my outdoor foodie event was in the TN humidity and a balmy 95degrees, boo!
Lovely pictures, Averie! Thanks for sharing.
thanks for the compliments and your festival sounds so fun too!
beautiful photos! i feel like i’m in greece just by looking at them!
xo~ kristina
https://beancakes.wordpress.com/
Gorgeous contrast between the white of the church and the bright blue sky–beautiful!
I absolutely love outdoor festivals! Especially Greek ones, because that means BAKLAVA :)
That festival looks like SO much fun! And that church is gorgeous. Love the photos Averie!
I’m definitely the type that loves to browse through events like that. Farmer’s Markets, festivals, events… I love seeing culture and people. Even malls are fun just to walk around, browse, and people watch!
Greek food is the best! I’ve been to Greece, and I can happily say that it was the healthiest and most delicious place to go on vacation – so much fresh fish and salad…and it’s all pretty easy to make as well, which is an extra bonus :)
Ooh, spanakopita! I abandon my wheat-free ways when fresh spanakopita is involved.
What are those things that look like giant cut-off forks with pieces of cardboard on them? I can’t figure it out.
I love outdoor festivals, and two of them have been rained-out this week. It’s been raining every freaking day for over a week now!
not sure either!
I LOVE Greek food. It’s definitely one of my favorites! We have a lot of foodie festivals here in Philadelphia, and I’m glad I’ve snagged me a boy who likes food as much as I do who I can drag to all of them!