Olympic ice dancers to appear at GreekFest

U.S. Olympic ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik will greet crowds at the annual GreekFest grand opening Friday, Aug. 21, at Assumption Greek Orthodox Church.

The pair, who train at Ice Dance of Novi, finished fifth at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and won bronze at the World Championships in Prague in March, according to NBC Sports. Zingas, 23, grew up in Grosse Pointe Farms; Kolesnik, 24, came to Michigan from Kharkiv, Ukraine, at age 15 to train under coach Igor Shpilband.

They'll appear at the Friday, Aug. 21, 5 p.m. grand opening and return Saturday, Aug. 22

The three-day festival at 21800 Marter Road runs through Sunday, Aug. 23. Hours are 4–11 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Saturday and noon–7 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $3 each day.

Joan DeRonne, administrator of the Assumption Cultural Center and a key festival organizer, said the event doubles as a reunion for the surrounding neighborhood.

"We love to share that with everyone and the festival has become kind of like a neighborhood class reunion where everybody meets and sees people they haven't seen all year," DeRonne told C&G Newspapers.

This year's festival also marks the nation's 250th birthday as a special theme alongside the traditional Hellenic food and culture. The menu features lamb, rice pilaf and loukoumades, the popular honey-dipped doughnuts. Carry-out is available, and Wally's Frozen Custard will be on site.

The Grosse Pointe South Marching Band opens the grand opening ceremony. Live music and performances by the Assumption Dancers continue through the weekend. City leaders and area dignitaries will also be introduced at Friday's ceremony, DeRonne said.

St. Clair Shores Councilwoman Candice Rusie, a member of the Assumption parish, told C&G Newspapers she plans to volunteer with food service Sunday afternoon.

For more information, visit assumptionfestival.com or call the church office at (586) 779-6111.

Coming up this weekend: