Billed as Arizona's "largest ethnic celebration of Greek food and culture," this annual gala is hosted by the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, and serves up enough incredible homemade grub to make your souvlaki spin.
That's in addition to Greek music, Greek movies, dance shows and lessons by the Panathenian Dancers. For the wee set, there will be jumping castles and train rides.
All this is intended to make folks -- and their bellies -- feel like well-tanned globe trotters. "Everyone who attends our festival gets the opportunity to visit Greece right here in Tucson -- without the expense of actually going there," says Jim Gekas, vice president of the St. Demetrios Parish Council. "Greece may be worlds apart, but for Tucsonans it's only minutes away."
Proceeds help support needy local families, UA scholarships, the Community Food Bank and the Salvation Army.
The Greek Festival runs from 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday, 5 p.m. to midnight Friday, noon to midnight Saturday, and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, September 16 through 19, at the St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 1145 E. Fort Lowell Road. Admission is $2, free for children under age 12. Call 888-0505 for information.
RAW TALENT: Fine art bears all in Have You No Shame?, now on display in the Raw Gallery.
Intended to "celebrate human desire and to challenge the public's view of sexuality in the arts," this selection of erotica features an amorous smorgasbord of local talent. Their ranks include Hector Acuña, Pasqualina Azzarello, Daryl Childs, Leslie Ann Epperson, Joe Forkan, George E. Huffman, Deb Fisher, Rhod Lauffer, Dustin Leavitt, Marc Moss, Lynn O'Brien, Chris Rush and Franz Weldgen.
And if those aren't enough creative luminaries to, er, get a rise out of you, maybe your id is outta whack.
The Shame fest continues through October 16 in Raw Gallery, 43 S. Sixth Ave. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, during Downtown Saturday Night and Thursday Night Art Walks. For information, call 882-6927.
RELAXING RITUAL: Partake in a primeval primer at Fall Festival '99 -- A Day of Myth and Magick.
Sponsored by the Tucson Area Wiccan/Pagan Network, this seasonal celebration will include everything from raffles and auctions to a labyrinth presented by Witches Against Animal Abuse. Kids will get a kick out of A Children's Quest, and a Fall Equinox Ritual will be performed at 6:15 p.m. Music will be provided by Joe Bethancourt and The Bringers. And everyone is invited to get gussied up as their favorite mythological characters.
The free fall bash begins at 10 a.m. Saturday, September 18, in Reid Park Ramadas 18 and 19, east of Country Club Road and south of 22nd Street. For details, call 570-7005.
