This year’s event that celebrates Greek food and culture will be held from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 29 at Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 2500 Grand Ave.
Credit: Provided
Credit: Provided
Eventually, organizers want the Greek Fest to return to its three-day schedule.
“We’re working our way back,” said Papakirk, who added the Middletown Greek Fest, founded in 1968, is the longest-running Greek Fest in the area.
Dancers from a Greek church in Dayton also will perform and a disc jockey will play music throughout the day.
On the menu outside in the Food Court will be gyros, spanakopita (spinach and cheese stuffed inside layers of buttery phyllo pastry), tiropita (cheese tucked inside layers of phyllo pastry) and loukoumades (tender doughnut holes covered with syrup, also known as honey balls).
Water and soft drinks will also be offered for sale.
Homemade Greek pastries will be available for sale and pre-order pickup downstairs in the church’s dining room, according to Papakirk, who urged pre-orders.
This year’s handmade pastry offerings include: baklava (layers of nuts and phyllo pastry soaked in syrup), kourabiedes (sweet almond butter cookies covered in powdered sugar), and koulourakia (a braided buttery cookie).
Credit: Provided
Credit: Provided
While Greek Fest will offer many of the food options that have made it one of the area’s most popular festivals, it has added church tours this year. Papakirk said visitors can walk around the church and learn more about Greek Orthodox Christianity. Since the church has no permanent priest, Papakirk said church members will lead the tour and answer questions.
While some of the church’s founding members have died, Papakirk said a “small core group” of members are working on rewriting the church’s vision and mission as a way to “start the next chapter” in the church’s history.
“We’re small, but mighty,” Papakirk said, repeating a quote from the late Dolores Revelos, a longtime Greek Fest volunteer.
Papakirk said proceeds from Greek Fest support the many ministries of Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church and allow contributions to be made to various philanthropic organizations in the Middletown community and beyond.
On Sundays, when a visiting priest is unavailable, the members hold “a reader service,” she said.
HOW TO GO
WHAT: Middletown Greek Fest
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. July 29
WHERE: Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 2500 Grand Ave., Middletown
MORE INFORMATION: https://www.facebook.com/MiddletownGreekFest
HAVE GOOD NEWS TO SHARE?
The Journal-News has started this “Good News” feature that will run every Saturday in the ePaper.
If you have a story idea for a future feature, please send it to staff writer and columnist Rick McCrabb at rick.mccrabb@coxinc.com or by postal mail to Journal-News, c/o The Benison, 100 S. Third St., Hamilton, OH 45013.
About the Author
