The Brunswick Greek Festival wants to bring the Greek back to Brunswick this weekend.

On Sunday 19 October there will be a celebration of family, culture and community right in the heart of Brunswick at St Eleftherios Church on Albion Street.

“There’s never been one there before funnily enough,” President of the Brunswick Greek Festival Harry Korras told Neos Kosmos.

“We’re bringing the community together, bringing the Greek back to Brunswick because many years ago the Greek community there was massive.”

While the event is on church grounds, it is not a church event, it’ll be based around food and dancing and much more.

The success of past glendia has inspired the launch of the inaugural festival this weekend. Photo: Supplied

Raffles, coffee and frappe, sweets, competitions and prizes, 15 market stalls and kids activities like a petting zoo will all be on offer.

Korras said the local futsal team is going to set up shop while Demotika band will perform as well as three dancing groups.

He said the idea behind the festival had been building up for quite some time after they did some glendi nights.

“We’ve had three glendi nights and that was probably one of the big instigators, because what’s funny, you won’t believe it, we sold out – all three,” he said.

“So every time we’ve done a glendi there, it sells out within like 48 hours and it’s 270 people and they love it.

“‘They say we’ve got to do more of this. We’ve got to bring the family back’. It’s like people that grew up in Brunswick, got married and moved out… they’re saying ‘I’d love to come back to my grassroots. That’s where we grew up.’

“And that was a big catalyst for us to say, you know what, let’s do something. Let’s put a panagiri together.”

Organisers hope the festival will mark the beginning of a new annual tradition in Brunswick. Photo: Supplied

They’re opening the doors to everyone, not just Hellenes, to give Brunswick a taste of Greek culture.

“That’s what it’s about, opening up, doing what we do best. It’s in our blood. Come and have fun and enjoy yourself, come and be part of it,” he said.

Korras hopes that this is just the beginning and that this festival can become a smaller Lonsdale Street Antipodes festival.

He revealed that the committee spoke to Merri-bek City Council and they told them to “have a crack” and next year they’ll shut Albion Street for them.

The festival is also supported by the Greek Community of Melbourne.

When: Sunday 19 October, 11am – onwards

Where: St Eleftherios Church, 279 Albion St, Brunswick 3056