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Hamptons Greek Festival in Southampton
Photo credit: Stavroula Raia | The Hamptons Hellenic Dancers prepare to go on stage at the Hamptons Greek Festival in Southampton. (2011)
Experience authentic Greek food and culture without breaking out a passport at this week's 27th Annual Hamptons Greek Festival. The Southampton event features performances, food and shops under open-air tents. Best of all, admission and parking are free. 
Preparing for Hamptons Greek Festival 
Hangin' in the Hamptons: July 2012 "It's just a really fun celebration," says Megan McKendrick, 29, of Southampton, who has attended the past four years to get her gyro and baklava fix. "You're going to see all different kinds of dances, foods and drinks that you don't normally get to see out in Southampton, ever."
Here are three ways to go get your Greek on.
EAT AND DRINK
Most of the festival's elaborate menu is homemade by parishioners of Dormition of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Southampton, which organizes the event. Popular items such as gyros, chicken souvlaki, moussaka and spanakopita abound ($4-$8). Specialty meals include lamb shank with orzo and string beans, and pastitso -- a Greek version of lasagna ($18-$22). For kids, there's souvlaki on a stick ($5).
Sweet tooth? Baklava, butter cookies and other treats will go for $3-$5 -- or go for the $25 pastry platter that includes a mix of everything. Bonus: You can order food online in advance for pickup (allow at least two hours' notice). Wash it all down with Greek coffee ($3-$4), imported beer ($5 a bottle) or wine ($5 a glass).
SHOP AND PLAY
Eighteen vendors will sell handbags and clothing ($20-$200) under tents. If you're in the market for Greek goods, there will be fine Greek jewelry ($50-$300), as well as jams, honey and olive oil ($5-$40).
Active kids will want to hit the rides -- 10 will be running, including a carousel and a wagon roller coaster ($4 a ride or $25 for an all-day pass). Adults who feel lucky can try their hand at 16 raffle prizes, which will be drawn at 8:30 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $50 each for prizes such as $15,000 cash or a 2012 Volkswagen Beetle and various East End weekend getaways.
DANCE AND HEAR MUSIC
It's not a true celebration without dancing and live music. "Greek dancing is a big part of our culture," says dance instructor Maria Sopasis, 39, of Bayside. "There's a lot of dances that mean different things. . . . We dance for happiness; we dance for sorrow."
In this case, visitors will see the Hellenic Dancers -- about 20 children ages 5 to 16 -- perform each evening. Wearing authentic dress, they'll showcase dances such as the kotsari -- a circle dance in which performers hold each other's shoulders, moving rapidly with stomps and kicks, or the kalamatiano -- the first dance at weddings in some Greek regions. Festivalgoers often hit the dance floor after performances.
Also keeping the atmosphere lively: The Trojans, a five-piece Greek band (Saturday only), and DJ Bobby Karounos, who will spin pop tunes. Yianni Papastefanou and Orchestra will perform folk and contemporary Greek music as well as original songs sung in Greek with a bouzouki, violin, drums and keyboard.
"It's nice for people to come and become part of our family for the weekend," says Xanthi Karloutsos, 62, of Southampton, an event organizer. "We're very proud of who we are."
Hamptons Greek Festival
WHEN | WHERE 4-11 p.m. Thursday-Saturday and 3-9 p.m. Sunday at Southampton Elks Lodge, 605 County Rd., Southampton
INFO 631-283-6169, hamptonsgreekfestival.com
HI-
Thanks for the help. The item’s below. I’d be happy to mail you a copy, if you give me a mailing address.
Claude Solnik
(631) 913-4244
Long Island Business News
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Ronkonkoma, NY 11779-7348
Home > LI Confidential > Stop scratching on holidays
Stop scratching on holidays
Published: June 1, 2012
Off Track Betting in New York State has been racing into a crisis called shrinking revenue. Some people have spitballed a solution: Don’t close on holidays.
New York State Racing Law bars racing on Christmas, Easter and Palm Sunday, and the state has ruled OTBs can’t handle action on those days, even though they could easily broadcast races from out of state.
“You should be able to bet whenever you want,” said Jackson Leeds, a Nassau OTB employee who makes an occasional bet. He added some irrefutable logic: “How is the business going to make money if you’re not open to take people’s bets?”
Elias Tsekerides, president of the Federation of Hellenic Societies of Greater New York, said OTB is open on Greek Orthodox Easter and Palm Sunday.
“I don’t want discrimination,” Tsekerides said. “They close for the Catholics, but open for the Greek Orthodox? It’s either open for all or not open.”
OTB officials have said they lose millions by closing on Palm Sunday alone, with tracks such as Gulfstream, Santa Anita, Turf Paradise and Hawthorne running.
One option: OTBs could just stay open and face the consequences. New York City OTB did just that back in 2003. The handle was about $1.5 million – and OTB was fined $5,000.
Easy money.
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