THRU SEPTEMBER 30

CHICAGO – ‘Beyond Antiquity‘ will be exhibited at the National Hellenic Museum (NHM), 333 S. Halsted Street in Chicago, through September 30. In Beyond Antiquity, architect and artist John ‘Yanni’ Fotiadis explores classical antiquity in Greece and takes us into the present and future with a series of 40 drawings, paintings and digital artworks that explore architecture, myth and landscape. This exhibition is generously sponsored by The John S. Koudounis Family, and is curated by Dr. Katherine Kelaidis. Regular museum hours are Thursday through Sunday from 10 AM-4 PM. Tickets are $10 and include admission to all exhibits, with special discounts available for seniors, students and children. Admission to the museum is always free for NHM Members. For more information on current exhibitions, events and memberships, call 312-655-1234 or visit the Museum’s website: https://nationalhellenicmuseum.org/.

NEW YORK – The Nicholas Kontaxis art exhibition, titled ‘I’m Just Like You’, opened on September 8 and runs through September 30 at the High Line Nine gallery, 507 West 27th Street in New York City. Nicholas Kontaxis, 27, is a self-taught artist whose abstract expressionist paintings communicate a unique passion for life. Born with a brain tumor that causes significant and frequent seizures, he began painting as a teenager and has grown an expansive body of work. More information is available online: https://www.nicholaskontaxis.com.

THRU OCTOBER 3

ASTORIA – Athens Square Park Inc. presents Greek Nights at Athens Square Park, 30th Avenue and 30th Street in Astoria, every Tuesday, 7-9 PM, running through October 3. Panos Adamopoulos is the Greek Nights Artistic Director. The schedule of performances: September 26 Aggeliki & Friends, Sponsor: Mega Contracting Group; and October 3 John Staikos & The Olympic Orchestra, Noora Belly Dancers, Sponsor: Buccaneer Diner and Sacco & Fillas Law Firm. Free admission. Event canceled in case of rain. Athens Square Park Committee: President George Delis, Vice President George Alexiou, 2nd Vice President Panos Adamopoulos, Treasurer George Stamatiades, Secretary Sylvia Fuster Adamopoulos, Safety – George Malonoukos, Legal – Aggeliki Psoni.

THRU DECEMBER 10

CHICAGO – The National Hellenic Museum (NHM), 333 S. Halsted Street in Chicago, presents Hellenic Heads: George Petrides through December 10. This touring sculpture exhibition features six larger-than-life busts inspired by key periods in Greek history spanning 2,500 years, from ancient times to the present. In Hellenic Heads – which premiered last year at the Embassy of Greece in Washington, DC – Petrides presents a personal exploration into his Greek background, seeking to understand the cultural influences that have shaped him and the people closest to him. Starting with a rigorous research process including archaeological artifacts, academic sources, family stories and historical photographs, Petrides studied six important periods in Greek history spanning 2,500 years: Classical Greek Period (510 BC to 323 BC); Byzantine Period (330 AD to 1453 AD); Greek War of Independence (1821 to 1829); Destruction of Smyrna (1922); Nazi Occupation and Greek Civil War (1941 to 1949); and the Present. Regular museum hours are Thursday-Sunday, 10 AM-4 PM. Tickets are $10 and include admission to all exhibits, with special discounts available for seniors, students and children. Admission to the museum is always free for NHM Members. More information is available by phone 312-655-1234 and online: https://nationalhellenicmuseum.org/.

SEPTEMBER 21-24

MEDIA, PA – St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 30 East Forge Road in Media, hosts its annual Taste of Greece Festival, September 21-24. Enjoy Greek favorites including souvlaki, lamb shank, moussaka, pastitsio, gyro, loukoumades, homemade sweets, Greek beer and wine, Greek music and folk dances daily. Online ordering available as well as retail vendors, outdoor tent seating and firepits. Hours: Thursday, September 21, 3-9 PM; Friday, September 22 and Saturday, September 23, 11 AM-10 PM; and Sunday, September 24, 11 AM-8 PM. More information is available by phone: 610-459-0366 and online: tasteofgreece.net.

SEPTEMBER 23-24

COVINA, CA – St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church, 20340 Covina Blvd. in Covina, hosts its Greek Festival September 23-24, noon-10 PM both days. Enjoy authentic homemade Greek foods, pastries, and soft serve ice cream, church tours, souvenirs. Entertainment includes live Greek and Armenia music, dancing, and kids playground. Admission is $2, children under 12 and Active Military and First Responders are free. More information is available by phone: 626-967-5524 and online: https://covinagreekfestival.com.

SEPTEMBER 24

ONLINE – The East Mediterranean Business Culture Alliance (EMBCA) presents ‘The Legacy of Lafcadio Hearn/Koizumi Yakumo in America’ webinar panel discussion on Sunday, September 24, 2 PM EST/9 PM Athens/Lefkada EEST, on the anniversary of his passing on September 26, 1904 in Okubo, Tokyo. The panel discussion will be introduced and moderated by Lou Katsos, EMBCA’s President. The distinguished panel, currently in formation, will include author/poet Nicholas Alexiou, Professor of Sociology and Director of the Hellenic American Project at Queens College. Watch the discussion online: https://shorturl.at/tvwDS.

LOS ANGELES – Saint Sophia Philoptochos hosts their first General Assembly on Sunday, September 24 immediately after church at the Maria Maniatakos Pavilion Huffington Center, 1324 S. Normandie Avenue in Los Angeles. The speaker will be Chris Campbell-Jay, Disaster Program Specialist for the American Red Cross serving Greater Long Beach and South Bay. She will be presenting on ‘Disasters – Before and After’. Learn what the Red Cross does before and after emergencies and what you can do to be prepared for an emergency and after one strikes. Lunch will be available for $10 per person. Please email your reservation to: [email protected].

SEPTEMBER 27

NEW YORK – AHEPA Delphi Chapter #25 hosts its End of Summer Celebration on Wednesday, September 27, 6 PM, at M Social Hotel Times Square NYC, 226 West 52nd Street in Manhattan. All existing members and those interested in becoming members are invited and encouraged to attend. Ladies and gentlemen are welcome, the event is open to the entire AHEPA Family and friends. Space is limited so please secure your tickets ASAP. The event is a fundraiser for Icarus Assistance, a 501c3 tax-exempt organization that offers financial assistance to the immediate families of fallen Hellenic Air Force pilots. More information is available online: https://shorturl.at/AKTUX.

NEW YORK – The Hellenic-American Cultural Foundation presents ‘Maria Callas: A Tribute to Her Life and Music’ on Wednesday, September 27, 7 PM, at Merkin Concert Hall at the Kaufman Music Center, 129 West 67th Street in New York City. Nicholas Gage, who wrote the internationally acclaimed biography of Maria Callas ‘Greek Fire’, will introduce the evening’s event and provide a background Callas’ career. Maria Asteriadou has put together a trio of extremely talented young Greek artists consisting of mezzo-soprano Sophia Pelekasis, pianist Georgia Lazaridou, and violinist Christoforos Petridis, who will present some of Callas’ most famous works. Tickets available online: https://shorturl.at/eilzN.

SEPTEMBER 28

PHILADELPHIA, PA – The Federation of Hellenic-American Societies of Philadelphia and the Greater Delaware Valley host the Young Leaders ‘Parea and Poto’ Thursday, September 28, 6:30-9:30 PM, at Kedera Tiki Bar at Uptown Beer Garden, 1500 JFK Boulevard in Philadelphia. Pre-sale tickets are $20, at the door $30. For more information, email: [email protected].

SEPTEMBER 29

FLUSHING, NY – Greek Night at Citi Field, takes place Friday, September 29, 5-8 PM, at Citi Field, 41 Seaver Way in Flushing, Queens, NY. Jimmy Papageorgiou and George Kakivelis of the Gus Cherevas Estia-Pindus Flushing AHEPA Chapter 326, on behalf of District 6, have planned a fabulous event at Citi Field on September 29, beginning at 5 PM, that will celebrate Greek Heritage prior to the Mets-Phillies game. This event will raise funds to benefit the District’s Scholarship Program and families in need. We are in Sections 140, 141 and 142. Archdiocesan Cathedral Youth Choir will perform the National Anthem. The event includes traditional Greek Dancing by AMC Dancers at 5 PM, parade across the warning track, music by Geo Events/DJ Spiro. Please buy your tickets as soon as possible online: https://shorturl.at/bdKQW. Invite your family members and friends for a fun-filled evening benefitting the Muscular Dystrophy Association in honor of Christopher Ioannou’s memory, “the biggest Met fan ever.”

SEPTEMBER 30 – The UCLA Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF) Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture announced that the Gefyra Greek Book Club meetings for 2023-24 begin on Saturday, September 30, 10 AM PDT, with ‘Ο Δύτης’ by Minos Efstathiadis. This enthralling crime novel by the prize-winning author promises to be an ideal topic for conversation, as it combines elements from noir literature, ancient Greek tragedy, and diaspora narratives. The Book Club welcomes new participants and long-standing members. The Gefyra Book Club is a collaborative program established by the UCLA SNF Center for the Study of Hellenic Culture and the Simon Fraser University SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies with support from the Stavros Niarchos Foundation. Pick up a (physical or digital) copy of the book and join the meeting on Zoom for a lively and friendly conversation. Register for the meeting and find more information on the book (including links to purchase a digital copy), the author, and the Book Club online: https://shorturl.at/mpwLY.

OCTOBER 5

LONDON, UK – The Hellenic Initiative hosts its 7th Annual London Gala on Thursday, October 5 at The Dorchester Hotel, 53 Park Lane in Mayfair, London. The event begins with a reception at 7 PM, dinner and awards at 8 PM, and entertainment at 10 PM with popular Greek singer Antonis Remos scheduled to perform. The honorees are the Stelios Philanthropic Foundation and HELMEPA. The Stelios Philanthropic Foundation’s mission is to support a diverse range of charitable activities, primarily in places where the founder, Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has lived and worked – the UK, Greece, Cyprus, and Monaco. HELMEPA is the Hellenic Marine Environment Protection Association; the pioneering voluntary commitment of Greek seafarers and ship owners to safeguard the seas from ship-generated pollution. The event co-chairs are THI London Board Member Constantine M. Logothetis, THI Board Member Nikos Stathopoulos, and THI International Ambassador Princess Tatiana. Tickets and additional information available online: https://tinyurl.com/ds7p2p67. THI’s mission is investing in the future of Greece through programs focused on economic revitalization and crisis relief. More information is available online: www.thehellenicinitiative.org.

OCTOBER 5-8

CHERRY HILL, NJ – St. Thomas Greek Orthodox Church, 615 Mercer Street in Cherry Hill, hosts the annual Greek Agora Festival, the largest food and wine festival in the Delaware Valley, October 5-8. Enjoy authentic Greek food and sweets, wine, vendors, raffles, music and dance. Online ordering available. Hours: Thursday, October 5, Friday, October 6, and Saturday, October 7, 11 AM-1 AM; and Sunday, October 8, Noon-10 PM. More information is available by phone: 856-665-1731 and online: https://greekagorafestival.com.

OCTOBER 5-15

NEW YORK – Hellenic Film Society USA (HFS) hosts the New York Greek Film Expo 2023 Thursday, October 5-Sunday, October 15, presenting the latest Greek films and a retrospective of the work of actor, screenwriter and director Renos Haralambidis. The Expo features films, receptions, a master class, and a special live musical performance. Film screenings will be held October 5-8 at the Village East by Angelika theatre, 181- 189 2nd Avenue in Manhattan, and October 9-10 at the Barrymore Film Center, 153 Main Street in Fort Lee, NJ. The Renos Haralambidis retrospective will take place October 13-15 at the Museum of the Moving Image (MoMI), 36-01 35th Avenue in Astoria. Stay tuned for further information about parties, special events, and ‘meet and greets’ with the film directors. More information is available by phone: 347-934-9497 and online: https://hellenicfilmusa.org/.

OCTOBER 13-14

ELKINS PARK, PA – Annunciation Evangelismos Greek Orthodox Church, 7921 Old York Road in Elkins Park, hosts its Fall Greek Festival OPA! A Taste of Greece, October 13-14, 3-10 PM both days. Enjoy traditional Greek food, pastries, beer garden, wine, mezze plates, live Greek music, dancing, and church tours. A portion of the proceeds to benefit local Cheltenham Emergency Medical Services. More information is available by phone: 215-635-0316 and online: https://www.anngoc.org.

OCTOBER 14

UPPER DARBY, PA – The Philoptochos Society of St. Demetrios Annual Bid-N-Buy takes place Saturday, October 14, at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church, 229 Powell Lane in Upper Darby. Doors open 5 PM. Admission $30 for adults, $15 for children 12 and under. Pre-sale tickets only. Contact Amelia: 267-968-6681. More information is available online: https://saintdemetrios.org.

OCTOBER 15

MOONACHIE, NJ – The Hellenic Federation of New Jersey 10th Annual Awards Gala honoring His Eminence Metropolitan Apostolos of New Jersey with the Alexander the Great  Award and Dr. Elias Iliadis with the Hippocrates Award, Sunday, October 15, cocktails 5:30 PM, dinner 6:30 PM, at The Graycliff, 290 Moonachie Avenue in Moonachie, NJ. RSVP to Event Coordinator: Despina Axiotakis 201-981-5764 [email protected]; Event Chairlady: Despina Kolokithas 201-725-8217 [email protected] or Event Co-Chair: Demetrios Kontolios 201-960-9260 [email protected]. Hellenic Federation of New Jersey President Panos Stavrianidis PhD. More information is available online: www.hellenicfederationnj.com.