Photo courtesy of Harry Yianitsas.
What began as a small Greek pastry bake sale in 1955 has grown into a three-day celebration of Greek food, culture and community.
The Greek Food Festival will take place Nov. 6-8 at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission tickets are valid for all three days.
The festival traces its beginnings to Philoptochos, the Greek Orthodox women’s philanthropic organization, which started the event as a way to share homemade Greek pastries with the community.
Since then, the festival has expanded beyond its original bake sale to include traditional Greek dishes, a marketplace known as the Agora where local vendors can sell their items, cooking demonstrations and tours of the church.
“We want [visitors] to experience [the festival] like being in one of the marketplaces in Greece, either Athens or on one of the islands,” Billy Karant, Greek Food Festival chairman said.
This year, the festival is expected to welcome between 20,000 and 22,000 attendees, following nearly 18,000 visitors last year, according to Karant.
Returning with many of the same offerings as last year, the festival will feature traditional Greek dishes prepared by the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church parish community.
Guests can choose from a pita and dip sampler, which includes pita, olives and feta cheese for $12; Greek salad for $9; and Greek lamb bowls featuring smoked pulled lamb served over Greek rice pilaf and topped with horiatiki for $13, among other dishes.
Unlike festivals that rely on outside food vendors, the Greek Food Festival’s dishes are prepared by members of the parish community. Karant said preparations begin months in advance.
“We have an industrial-strength, restaurant-level kitchen and storage facility, and we start preparing the pastries in May,” Karant said. “We start preparing the food in September, except for the proteins, lamb, chicken and sausage. All of that is prepared this week.”
Behind the festival is a team of approximately 20 organizers and hundreds of volunteers who help bring the event to life.
Last year, the festival had 802 volunteers. As of Nov. 5, organizers had registered 609 volunteers, with additional volunteers expected during the festival. Karant said people can still volunteer by showing up during the event.
“This is not a one-person show. This is the entire community coming together [to] participate at all levels,” Karant said.
Although the festival celebrates Greek culture, its attendees come from a variety of backgrounds. Karant said many visitors are not of Greek descent, while members of the Greek community often help organize and operate the event.
“It’s a cross-cultural engagement and interest,” Karant said. “I can’t tell you how many times I hear, ‘I’ve been coming 19 years. I’ve been coming 26 years.’”
Proceeds from the festival are reinvested into the parish and its philanthropic and community programs.
The funds help support opportunities for children to attend Greek summer camp and Greek school, along with other community events and philanthropic initiatives.
For Karant, one of the most meaningful parts of the festival is seeing families come together to celebrate.
He said the festival is about seeing the joy on families’ faces and bringing people together for “faith, fun, and having just an awesome time.”
