This is a busy but exciting week for organizers of , which returns for the first time in four years.

In North 性视界传媒, the 10-day festival kicks off Friday, June 7, in the Greek church parking lot at 96 Avenue and 132 Street, where the last in-person food fest was held in 2019, followed by a drive-thru version in 2020.

鈥淲e have tried to return every year post-pandemic, but the reality was that we were always short manpower to do it,鈥� said John Kantarakias, festival planner.

鈥淲e finally have built up, and I like to say that we鈥檙e the community that never quits, just kept going, and now we鈥檙e back. We鈥檙e excited. But some of the elders have passed away, so it鈥檚 a changing of the guard, let鈥檚 put it that way.鈥�

Organized to raise funds, the festival is a place to find plates of pork and chicken souvlaki, charcoal fire-roasted lamb, calamari, pita bread bathed in tzatziki, salads, potatoes, sweet loukoumades and baklava and other Greek favourites.

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The menu and prices are posted on , along with the entertainment schedule and more, or call 604-496-5099 for details.

鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to keep (prices) as low as possible,鈥� Kantarakias added. 鈥淲e have our costs, and we do want to make this fun for the community and to have people come. Nowadays, money is tight for everybody.鈥�

Pre-pandemic, the food festival attracted an estimated 10,000 people over 10 days, Kantarakias said.

鈥淚t is a lot of work but it鈥檚 a labour of love for everybody who puts on the festival, all volunteer-based,鈥� he noted.

鈥淥ne gentleman, I like to call him our head chef, Costa Kontogianatos, he鈥檚 now 94 years old. He鈥檚 the patriarch and deserves a lot of credit for his cooking over the years.鈥�

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Ending on Father鈥檚 Day (June 16), festival hours are weekdays 4 to 10 p.m. and weekends, noon to 10 p.m., at . Parking is available at nearby AHP Matthew Elementary.

鈥淭he money we raise helps keep the doors open at the church, and to our community outreach programs,鈥� Kantarakias explained. 鈥淭hrough NightShift Street Ministries, we feed the homeless twice a month in 性视界传媒 and Langley 鈥� full meals, not just a sandwich. That鈥檚 just one of the things we do for charity.鈥�