Festival Frenzy

One of our favorite things about living in Tulsa is the variety of festivals the city hosts. We haven't been able to attend many the past two years due to our school load, but our rotation schedule lately has afforded us the luxury of actual weekends - glorious!

Aaron and I took advantage of some cooler weather several Sundays ago and headed to Scotfest across the river. We browsed the tents of goods, including kilts and crests specific to each clan. I know I have a bit of Scottish heritage; it inspired me to investigate from which clan I originate!
The best part by far was watching the Highland Games. We caught the Caber Toss (tossing a large wooden pole) and Sheaf Toss (hurling a straw bag over a horizontal bar with a pitchfork).

Sheaf Toss: This was the winner - he successfully heaved the bag over a 29 foot bar!

Aaron, of course, had to sample the local fare in between games. He ordered some haggis (blech!), of which he wasn't a big fan, and a steak and mushroom pie, pictured below. The pie got his smile of approval.

The Caber Toss: we witnessed some immense strength and balance!

 We also listened to a great Celtic band for a bit. All in all, we enjoyed experiencing Scotfest. However, we decided we'd probably go on a Saturday next year instead of Sunday when the festival is dying down.

My sister came down to stay with us this weekend; we decided to explore the Greek Festival for the first time as a family. The festival is held at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church right up the road from where we live, so we enjoyed a nice evening walk to and from in some amazing Fall weather!

The line for food curved around the tent. In order to avoid braving it twice, we ordered somewhat of a Greek sampler feast. Souvlaki, Gyro, Lamb, Spanakopita, Tiropita, Dolmathes, Feta, and Calamari - whew!

The food was absolutely divine. We're now investigating authentic Greek restaurants in town to relive the meal.
Traditional dancing took place throughout the evening and provided entertainment while we ate. Dinner and a show? Yes, please!

We ordered a sample of ouzo to share in order to be truly authentic. It tasted of black licorice and just dipping my tongue in the clear fluid was more than enough to make me want to chase it down with my soft drink. As you can see, Aaron held a similar opinion.

With Scotfest and the Greek Festival down, we're now looking forward to our annual favorite - Oktoberfest!