Paniyiri Greek Festival 2015

Overview

Festivals seem to be a dime a dozen these days, with no weekend complete without some sort of celebration of film, music, food or all three. However, only one event sends most of Brisbane flocking to Musgrave Park en masse. That'd be Paniyiri Greek Festival, the city's source of autumn fun for 39 years and counting.

Paniyiri is a kaleidoscopic cultural explosion. More than 50,000 people descend upon West End each year for the annual two-day tribute to the Hellenic Republic, and it's not hard to understand why. First, there's the entertainment, featuring dancing lessons, traditional music, comedy, fireworks, amusement rides and then some. Then, there's more spanakopita, baklava, Greek salad, haloumi and other tasty treats than you can possibly devour — including both olive and honey puff eating competitions, if you really want to try.

Finally, there's the laidback vibe of people feasting, drinking and just being merry. There's a reason there's no other Brisbane festival quite like it, and not just because of the grape stomping. Yes, that really is part of the Paniyiri shenanigans.