House Rules contenders Katie and Alex will be making their first ever appearance at Brisbane’s famous Paniyiri Greek Festival on Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 May. After joining House Rules to save their family home, Federal Police Officer Alex and stay at home mum Kate are competing alongside five other state based couples for the ultimate prize. The two contestants will join Home and Away stars Tim Franklin and Lukas Radovich all weekend, based at the Channel Seven Arena in Musgrave Park. They will take part in numerous Greek activities to celebrate over four decades of the state’s largest cultural festival.
Highlights of Paniyiri this year include the return of the traditional Greek village in the Plateia, a Dance Spectacular on Saturday evening opening with a stunning Bouzouki tribute, and a standout cooking program. This year it will be headlined by international Greek superchef Dimitris Katrivesis, joining superchefs David Tsirekas and George Diakomichalis. This year also marks the 90th anniversary of the Greek Orthodox Church of St George, with dancing tributes and a special lecture by author and broadcaster Richard Fidler, host of the national ABC program Conversations as part of the Cultural Program. More than 30 authentic Greek food stalls will showcase the tastes, recipes and secrets from all regions of Greece, including the Aegean, Ionian, Mainland Greece, Cyprus, Chios, Crete, Rhodes and many more.
With Paniyiri being the states longest running Greek festival, this celebration of Greek culture has come a long way from its humble beginnings in 1976. Starting out as a small group of passionate Greek Australians wanting to share their cultural traditions with Brisbane, it has ballooned to become an event which will be expecting more than 60,000 visitors this year.
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