Greek Food Festival Set to Open Tuesday in Weirton
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The large outdoor tents have been erected in the church parking lot while several men and women worked for hours in the church kitchen area to prepare for the 31st annual Holy Trinity Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church Food Festival.
The chance to sample authentic Greek food and listen to traditional Greek music will start at 11 a.m. Tuesday.
The four-day festival will run from 11 a.m. until 9 a.m. through June 16.
"We will be working every day until the last minute preparing the food. It is non-stop now until Tuesday, and then it really gets busy," festival Chairman John Scavdis said.
Scavdis and Tom Apesos were busy dicing celery, while Nick Ledakis was cutting carrot after carrot into small bits.
At a nearby table, Stan Figurski had the job of slicing and cutting onions for the festival foods, while Don Kronstein stirred two large pots of syrup that will be ladled on the baklava cheesecake, chocolate baklava and galatobouriko.
"I have been involved with this festival for the past 25 years. Since I retired from the American Electric Power Co., this is my new job now. And I enjoy it every year," Kronstein laughed.
In another room, the meat that will by used for the gyros was slowly being cooked on a rotisserie under the watchful eyes of Pete Atsalis.
"We started working on Wednesday this week and have been working five to six hours a day. From now on, it will get even busier," Scavdis said.
According to Scavdis, online ordering for carry-out orders will be available. Phone-in and carry-out orders are available during the festival by calling 740-282-9835, or the fax number is 740-282-2091.
"Visitors to this year's festival will see several changes in the outdoor area," Scavdis said.
"We have re-arranged the outside to include a welcome tent at the south and South Fourth Street entrance. The tent has information for all of our visitors. We are moving the evening entertainment area to the middle out the South Street midway so the music will pour out into all areas of the festival, and we are planning to have music and entertainment during the day as well," Scavdis said.
"Nelson Fine Arts is back this year and we added an olive oil vendor, a jewelry and art vendors inside the church. And the famous gyro booth has been moved to the end of the midway area," Scavdis said.
"We are looking forward to another very successful year. We have been very lucky with the weather every year and expect another large crowd again this year. And we will be ready," Scavdis said.
The Grecian meals include Grecian style roasted chicken with rice pilaf and green beans; boneless leg of lamb with rice pilaf and green beans; plaki or baked fish; lamb stew; loukaniko or sausage; gyro sandwiches; pastitsio, baked layers of filla dough filled with spinach, an egg mixture, feta, cottage and grated cheese; lemon scented grape leaves stuffed with a seasoned mixture of rice, meat and herbs; and Greek salad.
The pastries menu will feature almond cookies, hot loukoumathes, apidakia, kourambiedes and rice pudding.
"We usually have a pretty good crowd. The weather is usually good for us and I hope we continue to have good weather again this year. The large tent will be set up in the street with a gyro stand and a taverna, and the main entrees will be available in the church dining hall," Scavdis said.
Parking at the festival is free, and organizers said Greek icons, music and souvenirs will be on sale during the four-day event.
This year's festival will feature the Greek Company Orchestra providing a variety of Hellenic music styles. The five musicians from the Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio areas have been entertaining ethnic music fans for the past three decades in and around the Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Columbus and Cleveland areas as well as in West Virginia, Boston, Seattle, New Orleans and Miami.