Ottawa celebrating all things Greek, here's what you should know

The 49th annual Greek Festival kicks off Thursday with food, music and entertainment in Ottawa.

The festival is bigger than ever this year, especially with a larger tent, Lucas Reklitis, Ottawa Greek Festival master of ceremonies, told CTV Morning Live Tuesday. He says it is all about celebrating the Greek culture.

"It's free entry, but we're serving them incredible food. We're giving them live music, entertainment, dancers, (and) of course the famous Zorba show," Reklitis said.

He notes that the traditional Zorba dance offers a unique Greek experience.

This year, the festival has an arcade and multiple Greek artists, he notes.

The festival has been raising money -- since it started 49 years ago -- for multiple charities across the city. He says they have raised around $2.5 million for the Heart Institute, and $500,000 for CHEO.

"We love to share our culture with you and that's the purpose of it," he said. "We give everything back to the community."

Ottawa Greek Fest runs Thursday to Sunday and again Aug. 23 to 25. It will take place at 1315 Prince of Wales Dr.

More information is available online.