The Ya’ssoo Greek Festival of Ann Arbor is now in its 11th year at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 3109 Scio Church Road.
The festival kicks off Friday, June 9, and continues through Sunday, June 11.
Admission is $3 on Friday and Saturday and is free until 4 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Saturday. Sunday’s admission is $2. Children 12 and under always get in free. Free parking/shuttle at Knox Presbyterian Church, 2065 S. Wagner Rd., ½ mile from St. Nicholas.
As soon as you step off the shuttle, the sounds and aromas of Greece will draw you to the many areas of the festival, the first of which is the Raffle booth.
This year’s raffle has a prize with a Chelsea touch. St. Nicholas parishioner, Stephen Kolokithas, custom jeweler and owner of Jewelry Set in Stone located in downtown Chelsea, has designed and donated the festival’s 2nd prize—a 14K yellow gold/argentium silver earring and pendant set with diamond accents. It features an oxidized Greek key with a 14K gold dangle with freeform. First prize is a trip to Greece for two that includes an island tour.
Live entertainment features the Greek band Enigma, The St. Nicholas Dancers, Terpsichore Dancers, and the children of the parish who perform traditional Greek dances and invite guests to learn and dance throughout the evening.
“Ya’ssoo is a greeting that is comparable to ‘Aloha’—Hello, Goodbye, To Your Health”–according to Artemis Alex, the festival’s marketing director. “Many guests tell us that they came as children with their parents to our original festival on Main Street in the 70’s and are now bringing their children since the festival was revitalized in 2007 at our Scio Church location. It is a family event and is a great way to start the summer.”
This year’s new addition is a balloon maker as well as the ever-popular face painter that children have always enjoyed.
The Kouzina’s large selection of Entrees and A la Carte meals features a new menu item this year–“Greek Veggie Pita” wrapped in warm pita bread and served with either Greek dressing or Tzatziki Sauce, a cucumber and yogurt sauce with a touch of dill and garlic. Seasoned Greek Fries with Feta are a highlight in the Mezedes booth along with Saganaki, Flaming Greek Sausage, and Cheese/Spinach Pies. Refreshments including soft drinks, ouzo, beer, and wine can be purchased at the Taverna.
To top off your meal, choose from over a dozen homemade pastries at our Kafenio. Our special St. Nick’s Mix features a variety of pastries.
Shopping at the Greek Marketplace, the Agora, includes Greek art and handmade jewelry in addition to clothing, food items, and gifts. The adjacent Bookstore features ceramic items, cookbooks, bookmarks, icons, religious books, and more.
Guided tours of the new Byzantine-style church are continuous throughout the event and feature the first phase of iconography that adorns the east interior of the church.
St. Nicholas supports various charitable groups through festival proceeds. This year 9 percent of the proceeds will go toward building a playground at “Creating Brighter Futures”—a center for autistic children ages 2-18.
For a schedule of events and additional information, visit www.annarborgreekfestival.org.
