All Things Greek

If you’ve ever wanted to dance like Nia Vardalos in “My Big Fat Greek Wedding,” this weekend is your chance.

Organizers of the 15th Annual Santa Fe Greek Festival have kicked it up a notch by expanding the event to two days and moving the celebration to the Santa Fe Community Convention Center, with dance lessons courtesy of Father Dimitrios Pappas.

“He’s a great dancer,” said Violet Santikos, advertising chair of the festival. “He does almost a back bend.”

	If you go WHAT: 15th Annual Santa Fe Greek Festival WHERE: Santa Fe Community Convention Center, 201 W. Marcy St. WHEN: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. today and Saturday COST: $3; children 12 and under free. CONTACT: 466-0015

Beer and wine have been added for those who choose to imbibe.

The food is more than the usual pot-luck casseroles: This year, the owners of four Santa Fe restaurants — three of them Greek — will serve up shish-kabobs, gyros and Greek fries, among other delicacies. The chefs include Leonardo Razatos of the Plaza Cafe Southside, Andy Razatos of the Plaza Cafe Downtown, Dean Alexis of Upper Crust Pizza and Greg Menke of The Beestro Catering Service (OK, he’s not Greek, but he spent two years there, Santikos said).

Those yummy Greek sweets we’ve all learned to expect will make an entrance courtesy of church members. Diners can choose from baklava, kourambiedes (powdered sugar cookies), melomakarona (honey cookies with walnut), koulourakia (Greek twist cookies — great coffee dunkers) and loukoumades (fluffy fried balls of dough coated with a light honey sauce and a sprinkling of cinnamon).

The New Mexican Greek band Aegean Sounds will serenade attendees, and Albuquerque’s Palamakia Dancers will perform both today and Saturday. If you want to shop Greek, there will be a “Greek Agora” (Greek imports) store selling gifts, as well as canned and bottled Greek food.

Past festivals took place in the Farmer’s Market building at the Railyard and, in the earliest incarnation, on the church grounds. The convention center offers a full kitchen and ample room for both dining and dancing, Santikos said.

At the Farmer’s Market, “people would sit there and eat and want to watch the dances at the same time and then people would stand in front of them,” Santikos said.

The Rev. Father Pappas will give your dance lesson at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.