Bribie “OPA” Greek Festival 2019 Sunday July 7 from 9 am

Kick up your heels at the Bribie “OPA” 2018 Greek Festival this JULY.

Everyone is invited to enjoy our local community’s annual Bribie “OPA” 2019 Greek Festival

Date:       Sunday July 7, 2019

Time:      9.00am to 4.00pm.

Place:      Third Avenue, Woorim

Entry:      Gold coin donation

Come and experience our traditional hand made Greek cuisine.

Indulge in our mouth watering freshly made Greek sweets.

Kick your heels to the live Greek music, including Zorba, played by our Greek band ‘Melodia’.

Watch authentic traditional Greek dancing from different regions of Greece  Swing your hips to the sounds of ‘Elvis Parsley’, singing live at the event.

Try wine samples from KOMINOS Wines.  Watch Greek Traditional Cooking demonstrations.

Enjoy Greek coffee and 18 different traditional sweets in our ‘Kafenia’  (traditional coffee houses)  Bribie is a sand island, so we will also be creating a unique sand sculpture during the event  Treat your kids to the children’s fun zone.

We have free shuttle buses every half hour from 11am till 5pm from the Park’n’Ride behind Wooworths,  cnr Victory Rd & Bongaree Av, Bribie Island, or the Carpark at Bribie Island Recreation Hall, 156 First Av,  Bongaree if you can’t find parking close enough

Also….Where else in the world could you see a Greek church on an island ?!!!!

This is as close as it gets to a traditional Greek village Paniyiri, if you haven’t been there

It’s a fun filled day for all the family.    YouTube vision of  event ‐ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7wk4DjIn50    OPA!

OPA – meaning    Opa – an untranslatable Greek word that has many meanings
– OPA is a Greek Word that may be used as an ‘Exclamation’, or ‘Utterance’, or ‘Declaration’, or ‘Affirmation’
– It is a word or pronouncement of celebration
– It is a humorous affirmation that you’re the best; that you’re where you’re supposed to be; and that you need to stop and celebrate

– It is the Greeks’ way of stating they have come to a level of serene exuberance able to enjoy life as children. … In a state where having been fed, and having quenched our thirst, and having enjoyed the pleasure of uniting with others, we have filled with hope and confidence that life abounds with all that we need, … and that food will always be there, … and so, we break the plates, … because tomorrow there will be more. … And we light a fire and dance around it as a symbol of the warmth that surrounds us.

– ‘Let go, Be Greek, Fear nothing and join in the celebration’. It is a way of saying “don’t worry” … no matter what has happened you are still alive, … “don’t be harsh on yourself,” there’s another minute and another day ahead of you to right what’s wrong, … and we are here together to make sure of this. …( So, as an example when someone accidentally drops and breaks something, no matter how valuable, we yell: Oooooopa !!! … kind of “It’s ok,” … everything can be mended if your mind is healthy and still open to music, dance, mezedes, and wine !!)

– Opa – Not just a word, but a lifestyle….. In a way, the word Opa has undergone the same type of transformation as that of the name “Zorba”. Nikos Kazantzakis’ character and the movie that was made from his book have become synonymous with a love of life and the triumph of the human spirit – yet both the original book and the movie surprise modern readers and viewers with the darkness of many of the episodes depicted.

Yet to hear the word “Zorba” we just think of the expression of joy and triumph over sadness- just as Opa! has come to mean something similarly bright and positive http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-pattakos/opa-its-a-lifestyle-part-_b_849106.html
– Opa – (Greek expression) – (Wikipedia) Opa! (Greek: Ώπα), is a common Greek verbal emotional expression used frequently during celebrations or dancing in Greece. In the Greek culture, the expressio.

BRIBIE “OPA” GREEK FESTIVAL

THE VENUE

St Andrews Bribie Island Retreat and Recreation Centre 2 Third Avenue, Woorim

We are a recently opened, retreat & recreation centre, located in a 5 hectare bushland setting on the ocean side of Bribie Island.

Our prime purpose is to provide the means for youth & school groups and the wider community to facilitate educational & cultural development, including leadership skills, in a purpose designed 7 cabin camp with a large auditorium.

We include Panagia Theotokou Greek Orthodox church on site.

Every year, on the first Sunday in July, we host the Bribie Paniyiri (Greek Festival), to showcase our facility to the public, and also to share the Greek culture through food, dancing & music. The church is also showcased.