I’ve always been a fan of cultural festivals. I find them very interesting, especially the music, food, and cultural trinkets. The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Columbus, Ohio had their annual Greek festival this weekend. Since I was visiting my parents, I figured I’d go. The last time I had gone was around 8 years ago and not much had changed.

The food was great as always. I had a pastitsio with a meatball and a spinach pastry type thing. I also managed to fit in a Greek pizza and some baklava. Needless to say I didn’t go home hungry. The vendor shops were a bit on the weak side. They included more trinket type items, many with Greek themes. I’m sorry but a "not only am I perfect, but Greek too" (or something like that) T-shirt, isn’t really my style. The icons for sale were honestly too limited for my tastes as well. However, the Cathedral bookstore was great and I bought a few items. My one issue with the store is that it had hardly anything Western. In a way, this represents my biggest disappointment with Orthodoxy. To convert, a person generally has to become culturally Eastern and the Western heritage is downplayed, ignored, or even bashed. Granted, Orthodoxy is still wonderful.

Overall, the festival itself was fun and it was perfect weather! It felt like a nice fall day, which is great because some Labor Days in Ohio are blazing hot. Related to fall, Starbucks now has their pumpkin spice lattes! And my parents’ hometown finally has a Starbucks. Granted, I’m not a huge fan of Starbucks, especially the prices. Still, it’s nice to have as an option.

Happy Labor Day!