NEWS

Albanian festival to celebrate culture, togetherness in downtown Quincy

Mary Whitfill
The Patriot Ledger

QUINCY – The smells, sounds and tastes of Albania will be on display in Quincy's Kilroy Square on Sunday, Oct. 2, for the first Greater Boston Albanian Festival hosted by restaurateur Leo Keka. 

Keka, an Albanian immigrant who owns the Alba restaurants in Quincy and Hanover, said he was inspired by a feast that used to be held by three Albanian churches in South Boston. The gathering, full of food and music, turned into a quasi-family reunion and a chance for members of the community to connect, he said. 

Restaurateur Leo Keka, owner of Alba in Quincy Center, on Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019.

"Everybody would get together and it was nice," he said. "There are still two Albanian churches in South Boston, but as the generations grew, some people started to forget their roots. We decided we needed to get that back, needed to get together all of the Albanians in Massachusetts." 

The festival will take place from noon to 5 p.m., admission is $10 per person and is free for children. All food will be provided by Alba and is included in the price of the ticket. 

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There will be traditional Albanian cuisine – which Keka describes as a mashup of Italian, Greek and Mediterranean food – including spinach pies, cheese pies, bean soup and roasted lamb, as well as music and a costume contest for kids who dress in their best traditional Albanian outfits. Keka said he expects about 1,000 people to stop by throughout the day. 

"There will be a lot of Albanian pride," he said. "Everybody is welcome. ... I'm going all in with this. I'm enjoying the idea of getting us all together and enjoying our culture and celebrating where we came from."

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The festival will honor the Rev. Arthur Liolin, a former longtime priest at the St. George Albanian Orthodox Cathedral  in South Boston.

"He's been instrumental in keeping the traditions alive in the Albanian community," said retired Judge Bob Tochka, who is helping to organize the event. "He is very well respected. There probably isn't a photo of an Albanian wedding or baptism (at the church) that he's not in. He's been very influential in a lot of people's lives." 

If the festival goes well, Keka said he hopes to make it a regular event. 

The Greater Boston Albanian Festival hosted by restaurateur Leo Keka will take place in Quincy's Kilroy Square on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022.

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Reach Mary Whitfill at mwhitfill@patriotledger.com.