One of my favorite events of the year is the Greek Food Festival. The food is delicious, the costumes are colorful, and the warm, celebratory atmosphere puts me in a cheerful mood.

I enjoyed watching the Greek folk dancers this year. While some of the circle dancing gets a little repetitive after a few songs, it takes skill to do the fancy leg moves that they throw in. And the dancers, who were made up of mostly college students, held hands and moved in the circle with enthusiastic energy. I even threw a dollar bill onto the stage after I saw other people doing that.

I considered joining in the dancing when they invited everyone in the audience to participate, but I decided to check out the vendors instead. There was a Russian booth with beautifully painted wooden objects. We met the kind woman behind the booth, and I got to practice some of my rusty Russian with her. She said that she traveled from one Greek festival to another around the country. The Russian festivals were very small, but she was able to make a living at the Greek festivals (since both Russia and Greece belong to the Eastern Orthodox Church). I love Russian art. It’s sentimental for me because I spent five years of my childhood in Moscow, and I couldn’t leave without getting a magnet and earrings, which were all painted with beautiful colors and intricate details.

This year, I tried moussaka for the first time. It’s a savory blend of potatoes, meat, eggplant, and spices. I enjoyed it so much that I decided to learn how to make it at home.

One of my favorite things about the Greek Food Festival this year was having my parents with us.

I appreciated the food and entertainment, but the deepest enjoyment came from sharing joy and warmth with those I love.