LOS ANGELES (June 1) – Hollywood's favorite super-star couple Tom Hanks & Rita Wilson will once again serve as honorary chairs and celebrity guest hosts of the LA Greek Fest — highlighted by the exciting "Passport to a Grecian Holiday" theme and presented September 11-13 on the Grand Plaza grounds of Saint Sophia Cathedral.

"This is our Eleventh Year Anniversary and we're going to celebrate the event in spectacular style," enthuses Fest director Ted Pastras. "We'll have a lot of show biz celebrities from Hollywood and people from all over Southern California coming to the Byzantine Latino Quarter to enjoy this event. Tom and Rita are great friends, and part of the Cathedral family, and they're lending their star power to our festival so that the people of the Southland can appreciate all the fun & excitement of the Greek Islands – right here in the city of the angels."

LA Magazine has recognized the LA GREEK FEST as one of the "must-see, must-do" September events in Los Angeles. Because of its prominence in the community and singularly unique presentation format, Hollywood Celebrities and VIP dignitaries come from all over Los Angeles and the west coast to visit throughout the weekend.

"We want to welcome one and all — not only to the Fest but into our beautiful Cathedral during their visit," encourages Father John Bakas, dean of the Cathedral. "Come experience the 'warm heart of Los Angeles' and Greek hospitality at its finest — there's nothing else like it anywhere!"

The Fest and Cathedral are located at 1324 S. Normandie Avenue, (corner of Pico and Normandie). Free and secure parking will be available nearby and shuttle service will be offered continuously to satellite lots. The Fest runs 5:00 pm – 11:00 pm on Friday Sept. 11; Saturday Sept. 12, 1:00 pm – 11:00 pm and Sunday Sept.13, 12 noon – 10 pm Admission is free to everyone on Friday night; and $5 for adults on Saturday and Sunday. (Kids under 12 will be admitted free of charge all weekend long).

EXOTIC TRAVEL THEME

A "Passport to a Grecian Holiday" theme marks plans for this year's Fest. Food booths will spotlight Greek food specialties to stimulate a culinary fantasy with the dining pleasures of Athens, Mykonos, Santorini, Rhodes, Saloniki and other exotic Hellenic destinations. It's a weekend of great food, music and dancing, the irresistible spirit of the Aegean &mash; all within easy reach in the heart of Los Angeles.

Travel-themed raffle prizes will be awarded, including a trip for two to the Greek Islands, weekend getaways, a digital camera, luggage and more. Exquisite Greek cuisine at the various exotically themed booths will include spanakopita, calamari, pastitsio and the spectacular flaming cheese saganaki, plus first-ever presentations of lesser-known regional tantalizers. The always-popular dessert booth will serve up exotic pastry creations including baklava and galaktoboureko.

One of the hottest new FEST attractions is the always jumping "TUNICS" - a top-notch Sports Bar located on the north end of the plaza grounds. TUNICS offers continual broadcasts of all the top rated weekend football games and other sporting events. Also featured will be a line of select Greek beers, wine and Metaxa brandy cocktails... complimented by food specialties like feta fries, Greek sausage sandwiches and mini-lamb chops. Sports Bar connoisseurs will be delighted to find the special line of premium cigars available with the distinctive LA GREEK FEST logo.

Continuing partnerships with Ralph's, 20th Century Fox, Paramount Studios, Caffe D'Amore, California Produce, METAXA, TIME WARNER Cable, Signquest and Daphne's Greek Cafes are expected to help push this year's Fest attendance well above the 40,000 level over the three day weekend. Further fueling the visitor surge is the assistance of the Los Angeles Metropolitan Transportation Authority with its vehicle signage and website postings provided daily to thousands of transit riders.

Befitting the burgeoning breadth and scope of the Fest, the Los Angeles City Council will be declaring September 11-13 as "LA GREEK FEST Weekend" in Los Angeles.

"In just a few short years, our FEST has become a blockbuster event for the city of Los Angeles" beams festival co-director Jan Pastras. "It's such a fantastic way to enjoy a splash of the Aegean right here in Southern California!"

As usual, extensive tours of Saint Sophia Cathedral, a world-renown architectural and religious gem and national landmark structure, will be held throughout the LA Greek Fest weekend.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Ted and Jan Pastras, festival directors, (323) 737-2424, (310) 491-4441, or

OTHER INFO: Saint Sophia Cathedral office, (323) 737-2424, or visit LAGreekFest.com