Over Memorial Day weekend, my wife and I were first-time attendees at the annual Flavors of Greece Festival presented by St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church in Aurora. This two-day festival is held at the Kane County Fair Grounds in St. Charles and brings together the sights, sounds and flavors of everything Greek.

It’s no secret that I’ve always been a fan of Greek food. Growing up near Detroit, we would regularly go into the city to have dinner at Greektown and Trapper’s Alley. Very early I was introduced to flaming cheese and other Greek dishes at The New Parthenon and Pegasus as well as the sticky goodness of Baklava.

The Flavors of Greece Festival was a great time. We started by browsing a room filled with Greek and Greek-themed goods for sale. But the big draw was the main room that featured the food and dancing. We got to see some authentic Greek dancing put on by the Apollo Dance Troupe. The dancers wore traditional costumes from some of the many regions in the country and were accompanied by traditional Greek music and singing. The day was capped off by sampling some of the great foods available including Souvlaki, Moussaka, Gyros and Ouzo. Over-all it was a great activity to spend an afternoon at and highly recommended if you have a love for Greek food and culture.

This weekend was the annual Cinco de Mayo Festival in downtown Aurora. If you really want to get to know the community of Aurora, one of its local festivals is the place to be. Saturday many Aurorans braved the rain and weather to celebrate the Battle of Puebla on May 5th, 1862. Sunday, the crowds were thicker as the sun and mild weather made it a great day to be out in the city. The festival featured a food court with authentic Mexican food, performances by local musicians and performers as well as a carnival with games and rides for the kids.

Although Cinco de Mayo is traditionally seen as a Mexican-American holiday, it really should be celebrated by all of us. The bravery of the some-4,000 Mexican troops who defeated a French force nearly 3-times its size that day in 1862 helped keep the French under Napoleon III from supplying the Confederate army. This, in turn, helped the north attain victory and end the Civil War two years later. Besides which, Cinco de Mayo is definately another reason for us to all celebrate something and that’s perfectly fine with me.

Parking was great - we followed the signs and parked in the ATA lot behind Walter Payton’s Roundhouse. From there it was just an easy walk through the tunnel to the lot on Spring and Lincoln where the festival was. The stage was set up close to Spring Street and drew a big crowd. There were also several booths serving authentic Mexican food but the real highlight for many kids was the carnival featuring several rides and games. It wasn’t a huge festival but enough to kick off the spring and summer festival season here in Aurora. If you’re looking for a great way to get everyone out for some fun, check out the Cinco de Mayo festival next year in downtown Aurora.

The spring festivals got off to a rather chilly start this Saturday with Oswego’s annual Wine on the Fox Festival at Hudson Crossing Park. With temperatures in the low 50s and a brisk wind, crowds were suprisingly brisk as well. If there’s one thing that Fox Valley residents love, it’s a party, especially with wine. While I’m sure the crowds would have been thicker had the weather been better, many oenophiles (wine lovers) came out to support the Rotary Club of Oswego and Illinois wineries.

Admission was $10 for a souvenier glass and 5 tasting tickets. Additional tastes could be purchased for $1 per ticket. There were perhaps 15 wineries from all over Illinois on location pouring a host of different wines. There was also a central music tent where we particularly enjoyed the music of The Flat Cats - extra kudos to the musicians who braved the cold weather to entertain the guests. There were also a couple places to buy food - I felt there could have been a few more choices and more participation by local eateries.

A couple comments: I would charge a larger admission fee - perhaps $15 per person - and do away with the tickets. I heard from several other participants who had strips of tickets blow away as they were trying to balance a glass of wine, tasting sheets and a carrying case of purchased wine. Also, having to pay-per-taste meant I only got to taste perhaps one wine from each winery - if I didn’t like it, that winery didn’t get any of my business even though they might have had another that I would have enjoyed and purchased.

For those that feel the tickets cuts down on alcohol consumption, consider this: as a wine tasting veteran, at a normal tasting, if I didn’t like a wine, I would take a sip and dump it. Here, since I paid a dollar for a taste, I felt almost obligated to drink it - I actually consumed more alcohol than I would have without the tickets. Many of the folk who come to this festival come for the atmosphere and the fun of tasting different wines - not to get drunk. I also laughed at the wineries that charged two tickets for a taste of port. One of the pourers even said it was “because the wine is fortified - there’s extra alcohol” - I guess they thought the extra alcohol was worth an extra dollar. Suffice to say, I didn’t purchase anything from those wineries - I buy wines that taste interesting - If I want alcohol, I’ll drink vodka - it’s cheaper and quicker.

All in all, it was a wonderful festival and a great turnout. The parking was well-done with at least three seperate lots. I found a parking spot right next to the park and the police were there to direct you. What a great way to kick off the spring with a glass of good Illinois wine and the company of fellow Fox Valley residents. If you missed it, definately put this one on your “to-do” list for 2009.