Celebrate Utah heritage -- and ethnic treats

Food, food and more food. The next couple of weeks offer a chance to enjoy several culinary-related festivals that have become part of Utah's heritage.

Food really plays the starring role here, with traditional favorites -- souvlaki, dolmathes and baklava -- among the items on the extensive, big fat Greek menu. Food is served beginning at 11 a.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon on Sunday.This is the largest Greek festival west of the Mississippi and the largest ethnic festival in Utah (www.saltlakegreekfestival.com)Brigham City's Peach Daysbegan in 1904 as a way to celebrate the harvest in Box Elder County.Scheduled this year for Sept. 9-11, Peach Days is Brigham City's largest event, with attractions that include a parade, custom car show, motorcycle show, theatrical production and lots of craft and food vendors.Meanwhile, the Greek Festival begins at 5 p.m on Sept. 10 and runs through Sept. 13 at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 279 S. 300 West.Food sold throughout the evening includes Indian curry with house- made cheese (paneer), spicy Bengali rice, and giant lentil chips (papadams). Admission is $3 per person and $1 for children.e-mail: vphillips@desnews.comAmid the usual carnival-type food you can find Dutch oven peach cobbler, peach smoothies and peach ice cream.The Utah State Fair also begins Sept. 10 and runs through Sept. 19. New and featured carnival items include fried ravioli on-a- stick, alligator on-a-stick, catfish sandwich, prickly pear lemonade, frog legs, Cajun crawfish, gelato, Hawaiian shaved ice, grilled and fried vegetables, veggie burger, turkey legs, pork tenderloin sandwich, and deep-fried candy bars, Twinkies, Oreos and cheesecake.Fair fare is usually pretty expensive, but bargain-hunters should head to the Utah Dairy Council's ice cream festival, Sept. 14 at 3 p.m. For $3, you can have all the ice cream you can eat. The Utah Beef Council will sponsor a Beef Feast Sept. 19 at 11 a.m. A sandwich with chips is $5.On your return home, stop at the roadside stands and buy peaches and other produce.While eating, you can enjoy some traditional music and folk dances, shop at the boutique or take a tour of the church.You can also head to the Home Arts building and admire the blue- ribbon preserves, cookies, candy, breads and biscuits, or watch the cooking demonstrations and contests.The main event, the Pageant of Ramayana, begins at 7:30 p.m., and climaxes with the burning of a 20-foot high effigy of Ravana with flaming arrows.And the 23rd Annual Festival of India takes place Sept. 12 at Utah Valley's Krishna Temple, on South Main Street in Spanish Fork, beginning at 4 p.m.Or, you can check out the 4-H building, where kids exhibit cakes decorated in a rainbow of colors (www.utahstatefair.com).Green River is the state's prime melon-growing spot, and truckloads of melons will be cut up and given away to festivalgoers at the city park.More than 4,000 attended last year's celebration, with live music, dancing and cultural exhibits.

e-mail: vphillips@desnews.com