Murray Wood: Who's hot... and who's not
Every Friday, Murray Wood takes a look back at the week's news and decides who's hot... and who's not. This week's list ...
Authentic food, traditional music, and vibrant dance will take centre stage as the Hellenic Pavilion returns to Regina’s Mosaic festival.
Presented by the St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Community, the pavilion joins the city-wide “Festival of Cultures” as it celebrates its 56th anniversary.
Maria Perentes, who is the Hellenic Pavilion’s senior ambassador, said she is excited to be representing her pavilion this year alongside Anthony Parisone, who is the co-manager.
Read more:
- Orest Warnyca has been to every Mosaic festival over 60 years, and doesn’t plan on stopping
- New and returning pavilions ready to share cultures at Regina’s 2026 Mosaic festival
- New card to promote tourism around Regina launches in time for summer
“It’s my first time as senior ambassador” Perentes “I’ve been a youth ambassador many years ago, when I was a lot younger.”
Perentes said it’s nice to step into a role for an event that has been a part her whole life.
“We’ve (Anthony and I) been part of this community since we were born. Our grandparents and parents have volunteered at Mosaic at our Hellenic Pavilion, so now it’s the next generation, and we’re super excited,” Perentes said.
“I love going to Mosaic. I love volunteering (and) It’s my favourite time of the year. I used to be a dancer, and we (Anthony and I) used to teach dancing, so it’s nice stepping into a role where you know we can now be ambassadors and co-managers.”
Parisone said although he’s nervous to be co-managing the pavilion for the first time, that he is also excited to have the opportunity as he was always behind the scenes.
When asked why people attend the Greek Pavilion, Perentes said it gives people an opportunity to experience the richness of Greek culture and all it has to offer.
“Regina’s full of Greek restaurants (and) there’s so many. (We have) a huge Greek community here, and some people don’t get a chance to go to Greece,” Perentes said.
“It’s a little taste of Greece where you can go experience the food, the dancing, the live bands that we have Greek coffee or famous Greek honey donuts, so people don’t want to miss out on that, because it’s a once a year thing, and people want to have have their favourite dishes all in one place.”
The festival creates a big party atmosphere, she said.
“We view it as like a village party in Regina. If you go maybe outside of Athens, but like (in) the smaller villages, every night they’ll get together, have supper at seven, (and) they’ll party (until) midnight, have fun, and then they’re back at work the next day. That’s kind of the atmosphere we try to build in Mosaic for Regina, and that’s kind of, I think, why people are so drawn to it, (because) it is a three day long party every single time,” Perentes said.
With the ongoing REAL District (now known as the Bunge International Trade Centre) and Brandt Centre deal, Perentes said they are not worried about the location of their event in the future.
“The Greeks adapt, we can do it (the event) in this small church parking lot that we have and still have a great party, like we always do,” she said.
If there was one reason for people to check out the Pavilion, Perentes said it would be for the authentic food.
“The smell walking in, it’s nostalgic, even though we’re Greek, and we experience the food all the time. The smell of the coffee, the smell of the fresh baked baklava, the smell of the food that our volunteers, who own Greek restaurants here, are stepping away and coming to our pavilion and volunteering their time to make these dishes from scratch, and they’re the same dishes you’re gonna get in Greece, in the villages,” she said.
Parisone echoed Perentes’ comments, by saying the food is the best part because there is such variety.
“Usually Mosaic comes shortly after Greek Easter or Orthodox Easter, (meaning) everyone there is pretty acquainted with the food we have. But going to a three day long feast, where you can have loukoumades, which are the honey donuts (and) baklava, everything’s made traditional (and) it’s just different. You go to the restaurant, you have the same great Greek food, but when you’re at Mosaic, it just tastes different (and) it tastes better,” he said.
“It’s the Greek grandmas that are sitting there making this food, and you can’t beat that, you really can’t.”
— with files from CJME News
Read more:
