The parishioners of St. John the Divine Greek Orthodox Church welcome you to their 23rd Annual Grecian Food Festival beginning Wednesday thru Saturday, July 24 through July 27 from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM.
“Come and connect with our heritage and traditions which are centuries old, yet timeless in substance. Our Sanctuary Tours will inspire you, the Orthodox Christian Bookstore will educate you, the food and drink will entice you and the hospitality will overwhelm you.” said Gus Kayafas, Festival Director.
NEW AND RETURNING MENU ITEMS THIS YEAR!
The Grecian Festival menu has expanded to over 40 items. Included with all of our festival favorites are NEW ITEMS such as:
Opa Fries, our famous Tavern Fries topped with gyro Mezze and tzatziki sauce;
Big Fat Greek Hot Dog, deep fried all-beef hot dog topped with tzatziki cucumber sauce, fresh tomatoes, onions and crumpled feta;
Salted Caramel Frappé, Traditional Greek iced coffee topped with cold foam blended with delicious homemade salted caramel served at the Kafenio, our Greek Coffee House;
FREE COOKING CLASSES EVERY DAY …IT’S DESSERT TIME!
Our popular FREE cooking classes will be held at 2pm and 4pm on all four festival days this year with two different lessons on desserts:
Portokalopita, a delicious, super-easy and extremely aromatic Greek desert also known as Greek Orange Phyllo Cake. This recipe is divine! This recipe will be demonstrated by Maria Kayafas* on all four festival days –Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 2 pm in the second floor Learning Center.
“Among the Greek culture, there is a tradition of Philotimo, the love of doing good for people,” said Maria Kayafas. “This comes across in our cooking, our desire to show hospitality to guests, neighbors, and family as we eagerly prepare Greek dishes to share our love for others. It’s just another way to share our culture.”
Website reference: https://grecianfest.com/entertainment.html)
Koulourakia, a butter cookie flavored with orange and sometimes anise that are hand-rolled and shaped into fun twisted designs. They traditionally have an egg glaze and are topped with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. They are typically served with a cup of coffee. This recipe will be demonstrated by Barb Landers** on all four festival days –Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 4 pm in the second floor Learning Center.
“I attribute my culinary skills to my mother and yiayia,” said Barbara Landers, “My grandparents immigrated from the island of Karpathos, Greece, and taught me many recipes I use today.” “I look forward to presenting a traditional Greek recipe for those who wish to learn more about Greek culinary culture.”
Website reference: https://grecianfest.com/entertainment.html)
“FAITH, FOOD AND FUN!”
The authentic food, electric atmosphere and the contagious hospitality makes this one festival you do not want to miss this summer. There is something for everyone to enjoy and the parishioners cannot wait to share their faith, food and fun with you. The festive outdoor setting allows you to enjoy our Famous Gyro Sandwiches, Greek Tavern Fries, Wings of Ikaros or Chicken Kabob. A flaming aged-cheese called Saganaki will be served daily after 4 pm. The youth of our community prepare golden fried honey puffs, lemonade and baklava sundaes by day and by night. The Agape Dancers will perform daily the exciting and colorful dances from various regions of Greece to live authentic Greek music provided by an Ohio Valley favorite, “The Greek Company” and Greek DJ George Yamalis.
In addition to outdoor activities, available upstairs in our Hellenic Center Hall we will have a variety of festival favorites such as Roast Lamb and Chicken, Pastitsio, Moussaka, Spanakopita, Dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves) and Greek Village Salad, along with a plentiful selection of homemade delicious Greek pastries. Flavorful food items, only authentic to the Greek culture, are being offered. Vendors will also be on hand which will allow guests to bring home a piece of Greece.
However, our greatest desire is to share the beauty of our Orthodox Christian Faith with every single visitor. When you visit the food festival, please consider learning more about the Orthodox Christian Church by visiting our St. John’s Bookstore, participating in one of our church tours, listening-in on one of our Youth and Young Adult Choir Showcase liturgical chant demonstrations, and, of course, conversing with Fr. Demetrios if you have any questions about their ancient faith. The sanctuary will be open at 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 5:00 pm during the Festival for guided tours. The Byzantine youth choir will perform daily at 4:45 pm.
THE TAVERNA AND KAFENIO
BACK at the Taverna this year is a delicious new item, a “Mezze” (appetizer in Greek), of chopped gyro meat, sauteed on the grill with peppers, onions and feta cheese and served with fried pita triangles.
Our popular Kafenio, a Greek coffee house, returns this year with anticipated fanfare.
Twenty-year-old Danyelle Dunlevy* shared her enthusiasm, “We are excited to bring back this year a festival favorite first introduced in 2021.
You don’t want to miss the KAFENIO for an iced Frappé, our newest Salted Caramel Frappé, Baklava Cheesecake and Ladopsomo, a cinnamon sugar fried bread.”
Again for this year, all food sales will be in-person, with no pre-orders in the upstairs Hellenic Center. Your food can be packaged for you by our friendly volunteers to take home or enjoy indoors or in one of their outdoor dining tents.
Follow us on Facebook at “Grecian Festival” for the latest updates and news, or go online and browse www.grecianfest.com for more information or to download a menu. Call us at 304-232- GYRO (4976) with any questions. Like us on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/GrecianFest
We are located within the Centre Market Historic District and there will be plenty of free parking available on Chapline Street and in the lots across from the church. Hope to see you there!
