The Hellenic Flame Festival will once again brighten the skies in celebration Greek culture

"From the very beginning, the Hellenic Flame Festival was organized as a means to illustrate the cultural and everyday lifestyle of the Greek Community of Montreal and to depict the important contributions this Community makes to Quebec society," say the event organizers.

Three years ago, in an effort to offer a specific flavour to each annual celebration, the parent body of the event - The Hellenic Community of Montreal - decided to focus on a different local Greek association each year, an arrangement which allowed a specific region of Greece to showcase its distinct wonders.

This year, the honour and privilege of delighting all participants is given to the association representing the region of Roumeli, located in the central part of Greece.

The organizers antiicipate a vivid interpretation and presentation of the cultural heritage of the region, well known for its costumes and traditional dances but mostly for its distinctive landmarks such as Mount Parnassos and the ancient ruins of Delphi.

The Roumeli Association's dance troupe, which will be performing throughout the festival will surely enhance the image of this region’s stunning beauty.

“This year our community will highlight its 100 years of education. As a celebration, during our festival, we will have activities for the entire family” said Billy Balabanos, President of the Hellenic Community of Montreal. “Sunday will be dedicated to families. Our Parents’ Committees will organize the day's activities and our young Hellenic youth will proudly invite all children to come learn about the Greek culture. Many interactive activities will be held in order to attract our young visitors” added Mr. Balabanos.

Other planned activities on the “La Scène de Loto Québec“ include the famous Bouzouki Night held Friday, August 21, by Absolut Disco. The well known Vassilis Galatis will keep everyone dancing all day and night on Saturday and Sunday. Local talent will be represented by the traditional dance troupes that are part of the Hellenic Community of Montreal. These troupes are Terpsihori and Orpheas. On site, there will be many cultural booths and a wide variety of Greek delicacies to satisfy different tastes.



The 2009 Hellenic Flame Festival is held in partnership with Loto Quebec, the Minister of municipal affaires and regions, the City of Montreal, Heritage Canada, CTV Montreal, the Metro Newspaper, The Montreal Gazette, and Q92 FM.