I was distressed to learn this week that the annual Roanoke Greek Festival has been cancelled – yet again.
This fantastic presentation of Greek food and dancing and fun was always something I looked forward to. Shoot – it was about the only thing I could gear myself up to drive to Roanoke for. I adore Greek food, and there is nowhere closer than Richmond that I know where to find it. And, I don’t think I’m driving to Richmond for anything, even moussaka and spanakopita.
I sure don’t want to have to go all the way to Greece itself for Greek food. I did it once. It was a glorious and grueling trip. I won’t go back. Really, it just takes too long to get there. And that’s if the flights are all attuned with one another. On the way back home from my trip to Greece, the ordeal took 24 hours. That’s too long to travel anywhere!
Why did it take so long? Well, let’s just say that part of it included our British Airways plane having what the shaky-voiced pilot called “a wee bit of an electrical problem” as we were taking off from Athens. When we landed, there were fire trucks lined up along the runway. That is never a good thing to see. Then again, maybe it is. I’d rather see fire trucks than not see them, in such a situation.
But back to the Roanoke Greek Festival. This marks the fourth year it’s been cancelled. Now, I can certainly understand not holding the thing during the height of the pandemic in 2019 – there are tens of thousands of people who flock to it. And I can understand cancelling it in 2020. And perhaps even in 2021, although I thought that was overly cautious. But, to cancel it in 2022? We’ve all become inured to the Covid variations by now, and we hopefully know how to avoid them.
Thus my distress to visit the website recently and see this message: “See you in 2023.”Bah!
So, let’s look for a “bright side.” There is a Bath County Fair this year, in September. It’s a one-day affair in Millboro, but it’s happening. There will be no Greek food, I can assure you. But there will be the usual hot dogs and hamburgers.
My favorite thing I ever did at the Bath County Fair was take a ride in a BARC crane. I forget what it’s officially called. Maybe a bucket truck? Well, I was manhandled into the very high bucket, and then lifted even higher. The whole time, I was scared out of my wits, wondering what possessed me to decide to do such a thing.
Naturally, I made a sort of comedy routine out of the experience. The crowd laughed and clapped. I just could not wait to get down to the ground and out of that swaying bucket. I don’t know how those BARC folks do it on a regular basis, in driving rain and sleet, to get our power back.
If a bucket truck ride is offered this year, I think you can count me out. It’s one of those adventures like zip-lining. Sounds like a heck of a lot of fun, but once you get started, you are shaking in your shoes. And you realize once is definitely enough… and maybe one time too many.
There may be a Wings and Wheels festival up at Ingalls Field next month. There’s a date of Aug. 27 on the website, but no year is affixed to it. I guess we’ll have to see.
Finding fun adventures in a post-pandemic world … we’ve gotta look hard to find something to love!
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.