Bad weather and the pandemic may have wreaked havoc in recent years, but the annual Paniyiri Greek Festival is back and better than ever this October.
If there’s one thing that Madd Loans founder George Samios has instilled since birth, it’s to be proud of his heritage. From his beloved Pappou teaching him how to fix his bike, to his great grandfather – an immigrant from Greece – passing on a legacy linked to balancing hard work and your family, George proudly embodies what it means to be Greek.
As a result, not only is George an active member of the Brisbane Greek community, but he regularly puts his money where his mouth is as one of the major sponsors of the annual Greek Paniyiri Festival. Despite getting rained out during the extremely wet conditions that many parts of the East Coast battled against earlier in the year, Paniyiri was moved to a later date, and is now pencilled in for this October – and predicted to be one of the best ones yet.
Celebrate All Things Greek At The 2022 Paniyiri Festival
Now in its forty-sixth year, Paniyiri is a kaleidoscopic cultural explosion, and is the largest Greek festival found anywhere in Australia. While the two day weekend event is legendary amongst the 50,000 members of Brisbane’s Greek community, the festival has always proudly welcomed ‘honourary Greeks’, or anyone who wishes to celebrate or learn more about the culture.
The annual Paniyiri Festival is an opportunity to not only showcase what the Greek community is all about, but it also serves to unite all of the first, second and even third generation Greeks who call Brisbane home, particularly those who would like to learn more about their ancestors, culture and traditions. This is particularly relevant considering that the majority of Queensland’s Greek community all stem from a wide variety of the Greek Islands, each with their own unique take on what it means to be Greek.
Between Saturday 15 October and Sunday 16 October, thousands of festival goers will transform South Brisbane’s Musgrave Park into a multi-sensory experience where all ages and abilities are encouraged to dance the Zorba, stomp some grapes, shop the market stalls and sample the huge variety of savoury and sweet delicacies from multiple food stalls, representing all of the many Greek regions and their points of difference.
In addition, the Paniyiri Festival is also the primary fundraising event for Brisbane’s Greek Club, who allocate a significant portion of the donations towards respite care of the elderly members of the local Greek community. The regular events, weekly social outings and transport assistance provided by the Greek Club would not be possible without Paniyiri sponsors like Madd Loans, who form an integral part of this community based initiative.
Started in 1976 by a group of passionate Greek Australians who wanted to share their culture and cooking with the wider community, Paniyiri has grown from a simple Sunday picnic in Musgrave Park, into an extraordinary two day and night festival that attracts up to 50,000 people for a weekend of cultural discovery, dining and dancing in a not-for-profit setting.
Paniyiri tickets include cultural presentations, cooking demonstrations, entertainment including live music, dancing and DJs, art exhibitions, fashion parades, even a pop-up Greek village to visit. While the food is arguably what Paniyiri is most famous for, this festival of fun will have you feeling like you’ve joined Brisbane’s largest extended family, especially once you learn how to #PartyLikeAGreek.
While Madd Loans founder George Samios has always been passionate about his heritage, the annual event serves as a timely reminder to always give back. In fact, the Madd team raises over $15, 000 each year specifically to donate to the communities that reside on the smallest of the Greek Islands on the other side of the world, and are prominent supporters of Paniyiri – after all, Madd represents the ethics of ‘making a difference daily’.
Partner With The Experts On All Things Home Loans
Navigating the world of home loans isn’t easy, especially if you aren’t sure whether a fixed rate home loan, variable rate home loan, or even a split loan is the right choice for you. Thankfully, partnering with a mortgage expert means that you have someone on your team to guide you through the process.
Since their inception in 2012, the team at Madd Loans have worked tirelessly in providing over two thousand Queenslanders with finance options to help turn their dreams into reality. With the entire brand being built on referrals, owner George Samios takes great pride in making the loan process both fun, educational and stress free – and he has a swag of awards to prove it.
If thinking about your financial future strikes a chord with you, then it might be time to speak to a professional. Regardless of whether you’re chasing mortgage solutions or a financial fairy godmother, the team at Madd work together as a collective to turn your goals into reality.
