Greek festival serves up food, fun and a wedding

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SWEET TART- Keller Williams realtor John Mamakos, dressed in a classic Greek attire known as a Foustanella, offers sample Greek pastries during last year's Ventura County Greek Festival. This year's festival, held at the Camarillo Airport, begins tonight and runs through Sunday. Spitting on the bride for good luck will not be allowed during the Greek wedding at the Ventura County Greek Festival in Camarillo.

The 30th annual Greek Festival next to St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church at 400 Skyway Drive will have a new wrinkle in its lineup: a traditional Greek Orthodox wedding will take place Sat., June 7 at 5 p.m., and the public's invited to attend.

Stephanie Greanias, 22, and Jason Andrews, 25, will tie the knot this Saturday at the church in a service led by the Rev. Gary Kyriacou.

Greanias, who graduated from Newbury Park High School in 2004, wanted to get married at the church where her mother, Deborah, remains active.

Deborah Greanias teaches a Sunday School class and is a member of the parish council, and her late husband, Gregory, was studying to be a deacon when he died in 2003.

OPA!- Stephanie Greanias, 22, and Jason Andrews, 25, will be married in a traditional Greek wedding during the 2008 Ventura County Greek Festival on Sat., June 7 at 5 p.m. at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 400 Skyway Drive. "We weren't sure if we were going to be able to have enough time to get married," said Stephanie Greanias, who is moving with Andrews to Lapeer, Mich., on June 9. "We went to Father Gary, and he suggested, how about we do the wedding at the festival? I said okay.

"I'm very excited. I'm not sure what it's going to be like."

The church doors will open at 4:30 p.m. Saturday and close by 5 p.m. or when it's full.

"It's a fantastic ceremony. It's my favorite sacrament to do," said Kyriacou, the church's spiritual leader for four years. "Greeks are mostly known for mythology, contributions to democracy and baklava, but our faith is what's sustained us as a people. It's a beautiful faith, and this is an opportunity to show people a part of our heritage that one wouldn't be able to be a part of unless they know someone who is Greek."

Greanias and Andrews had a special event earlier at the church when their 4-month-old son, Aiden, was baptized at St. Demetrios on Sunday.

Greanias is looking forward to her wedding but has the typical big day jitters.

"I guess I don't want to be embarrassed and trip," she said"I'm excited to be getting married. I've always wanted to get married at my church."

The Greek Festival runs from 5 to 9 p.m tonight, June 6; from from 10:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday; and from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.mSunday. The Greek Festival Run, which includes 5K, 10K and 1mile runs, begins Saturday at 8 a.m. with proceeds going to FOOD Share.

For more information about the festival, please call StDemetrios Greek Orthodox Church at (805) 482-1273 or learn more on the Web at www.vcgreekfestival.org.