Stratos Chatzoglou spins out of Athens Restaurant and Tavern with a metal rod stacked with quails and bellows an old Greek ballad as he places the meat over the hot coals.

His hands are seasoned with lemon, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper, just like the wild birds spinning over the spit.

• View photos from the Taste of the Danforth

It’s a humid 29C — even hotter behind the rotisserie — but the men grilling the quails are lifting their arms in the air and singing to the crowd passing by on the Danforth.

Suddenly, they’re in the street, joining hands with curious onlookers and pulling them in to an open circle dance. Someone throws up handful after handful of white napkins that rain down onto the dancers. There’s clapping and cheering and the occasional “Opa!”

All that’s missing is the smashing of plates — but that might not be the safest idea at a crowded street festival.

“You have to give entertainment to the people,” Chatzoglou said. “I enjoy seeing people laughing, smiling, singing, dancing.”

The 3 kilometre stretch from Broadview Ave. to Jones Ave. was filled with people doing just that on Sunday, as the Pilaros Taste of the Danforth wrapped up for its 18th year.

What was born as a Greek food festival has grown to include kiosks with more multicultural fare, such as porchetta sandwiches, perogies, BBQ corn, fresh oysters and roasted pineapple.

Traditional Greek dancing and music was complemented by diverse programming on three different stages, including live performances by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, Second City and Elton John and Elvis impersonators.

Ancient Greek warriors, donning shiny swords and armour, wowed kids in a staged battle. The performance was meant to promote the upcoming film Immortals, about a Greek warrior tasked with saving mankind and the Gods.

Dejan Oljaca, 10, clapped at each clang and grunt.

“Can we see the movie?” he asked his mom after the show. “I really liked the action.”

Swirling tea cups, train rides and carnival games with giant teddy bear prizes were hardly Greek-inspired, but the wafting smell of spiced meat along with traditional music blaring from nearby restaurants helped maintain the theme. And the kids didn’t seem to mind, either way.

“Look at that, look at that, look at that,” a young girl with a pink headband shouted as she caught her first glimpse of a flashing Ferris wheel.

The streets were crowded, lines were long and there wasn’t much space to sit but festival-goers were happy to stand as they devoured giant slices of watermelon, honey-soaked baklava and pitas overflowing with meat.

Mike O’Leary held a cup of calamari in one hand and a chicken souvlaki in the other.

“It’s a little different atmosphere than just sitting down. You can do that anywhere,” he said, as he watched a live comedy show.

“Now all they need to do is loosen up the liquor laws so we can walk around with a beer,” said Julie Hagan.

Mike Fly said there’s comfort in numbers when it comes to eating on the street.

“When you go to a hotdog vendor, there’s usually that subtle shame about having a delicious hotdog. I’m eating this gross thing and everyone is judging me. Here’s, it’s like you’re at a ballgame — it’s perfectly acceptable standard fare,” Fly said.

Fly missed the spontaneous street dance outside Athens Restaurant and Tavern but he said their claim of having the best quail on the strip is well-deserved.

“Really tender and not overcooked,” Fly said.

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

A few metres away, Robbie Pope is behind the hot grill watching over the tiny birds as they spin.

“Have a quail of a good time!” he shouts to passersby.

Last year, 1.3 million people attended the street festival.