Annual festival celebrates Greek culture

The Greek Food and Cultural Festival took place at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Mount Vernon this weekend. The 43rd annual festival allowed attendees to immerse themselves in Greek culture and to sample delicacies of Greek cuisine.

Underneath Zorba’s Tent, folk dance groups from the cathedral and other Greek Orthodox churches performed for the crowd. Freshman Amelia Clarke, who attended the festival on Saturday, said she had an excellent time watching the dancers perform their traditional folk dances.

“I did enjoy watching the Greek dances when I went to the festival,” Clarke said. “Dances from different countries are entertaining to watch because they are unique to their respective cultures. Plus, it was fun to watch the dancers do a few dances with their relatives.”

The attendees also received lessons on Greek dance on Saturday afternoon and were entertained by Zephyros, a live Greek band, during the night.

Underneath the tent, passersby bought food, choosing from a variety of Greek specialties. These included patitsio, which is made of pasta layered with ground beef and béchamel sauce; moussaka, which consists of savory eggplant layered with potato, ground beef and béchamel sauce; gryos, which feature marinated beef and lamb garnished with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce on pita bread; and many more options, including chicken and pork souvlaki.

“My favorite food item was the spanakopita, the Greek version of spinach pie. It’s my favorite because it’s filling, but it’s not too much food at the same time. I also like the combination of flavors with the feta cheese and the spinach,” Clarke said.

Pastries were also sold in the basement of the cathedral at the Zaharoplastio, which was located near Aphrodite’s Dining Room and staffed by church volunteers. These pastries included nut torte Karithopia, custard-filled dessert Galaktobouriko, “Dessert of Joy” deep-fried Thiples, honey-puff Loukomades and powdered-sugar and shortbread Kourambiethes.

“My favorite pastry was the baklava,” Clarke said. “Again, it’s my favorite because I enjoy the combination of flavors in the pastry. Walnuts plus honey plus phyllo dough equals awesome.”

Freshman Joshua Rhinier asked for help in selecting his pastries and with guidance, ultimately chose a piece of baklava and a thiples.

“I don’t really know Greek food,” he said. “I mean, my father says that he likes it, but that hasn’t resulted in my exposure to it. However, with the help of a few charming ladies, I was able to pick out some good pastries.”

Vendors also sold different products with connections to their homeland. Greek merchants sold tickets to a local concert by a Greek singer, painted gourds and jewelry inspired by Greek styles.

“My favorite part would have to be the small knickknack stores under the main tent,” Clarke said. “I found and bought a key chain with my real name, Amelia, written in the Greek alphabet.”

Attendees could also tour the inside of the cathedral. For Rhinier, viewing the cathedral inspired feelings of reverence and contemplation.

“The cathedral is a place of reflection,” Rhinier said. “That’s what it was built for. Regardless of one’s faith, there is beauty to be found in place like that, with colored light coming through the stained glass windows. It’s timeless.”

There was also a Greek grocery section set up in Preston Hall, where attendees could purchase different Greek food products imported from abroad. These included Papadopoulou cookies in strawberry, orange and banana cream flavors and Amita juice boxes in peach and sour cherry, along with different varieties of Greek pasta and olive oil. Clarke thought that exploring this area was an exciting cultural foray.

“The adventure in the Greek grocery store was fun,” Clarke said. “There were groceries from Greece, and I bought a kids’ juice box. There was also a cooking demonstration going on in the store, which was pretty cool.”

In the basement of the cathedral, one could sample even more Greek cuisine at Aphrodite’s Restaurant, which served a number of Greek delicacies. There, they served avgolemono soup, made with chicken, lemon and egg, and a Pilika Platter, which allowed guests to sample spanakopita, tiropita, dolmades, keftedes, tzatziki and Greek salad, which contained lettuce, tomato, green pepper, onion and feta cheese.

A silent auction in the church basement allowed attendees to purchase gift baskets, sports memorabilia and gift certificates to help support the cathedral. A history of the cathedral, written by Parish Historian Nicholas M. Prevas, was available, and attendees could also visit the parish gift shop. Drinks, including Greek liquors like Ouzo and Metaxa, were also sold at several bar areas under Zorba’s tent and beneath the cathedral.