2024 PA GREEK FEST!!!
Friday May 17th 11am-8pm
Saturday May 18th 11am-8pm
Sunday May 19th 11am-3pm
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| Print the Menu! |
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Festival Presales - May 14 through May 15 !! IMPORTANT PRE-SALES UPDATE
We are sorry, but due to a missed supplier delivery, we will not have frozen Spanakopita or frozen Tiropita during Pre-Sales. We will have plenty for the weekend. |
| Enjoy Greek Dancing |
| Take a Church Tour |
| Inside Menu |
| Outside Menu |
| Our Gift to You! |
"Olympic Flame" Dancers
Friday, May 17th5:00 pm - Junior
Saturday, May 18th12:00 pm – Senior
Sunday, May 19th12:30 pm – Intermediate/Junior/Senior |
Greek culture is known for its rich history, art, and traditions, and its food and dancing are an integral part of this cultural heritage. The first recorded cookbook in history was written by the Greek Poet, Archestratos in 320 BC. The Ancient Greeks based their cuisine on what was native to the land including wheat, olive oil and plant foods. Modern Greek cuisine continues to emphasize the use of vegetables, herbs, olive oil, lean meats and seafood to create simple, flavorful and healthy dishes from tender grilled meats to fresh fish, syrupy pastries and vibrant vegetable dishes. A traditional Greek dinner may include souvlaki, moussaka and dolmades served alongside a beautiful horiatiki “village” salad. It is often said that “to be Greek is to dance.” Greeks dance with their heart. It is how they express their joy and passion for life. In the Greek culture many important events include dancing such as weddings, baptisms, and other celebrations. The most popular Greek dances include the syrtos, kalamatianos, tsifteteli, and hasapiko, each with their own unique style and rhythm. Greek culture and traditions are closely tied to the Orthodox Christian faith, and many holidays and festivals revolve around the church calendar. For example, the Greek Orthodox Easter is the most important holiday of the year and is celebrated with religious services, feasting, family gatherings and dancing, where many traditional dishes are served. Overall, Greek culture is a vibrant and lively expression of the country's rich history and traditions. From the flavorful cuisine to the energetic dancing, Greeks take pride in their cultural heritage and enjoy sharing it with others. Since no joyous Greek function would be complete without music & dancing, we offer you vibrant, bouzouki music & energetic Greek dancing by our dance group, the Olympic Flames. |
The Olympic Flames story began in the late 1980s when efforts were first made to teach the traditional Greek Folk dances performed at weddings and other celebrations to our young people. These early teachers were parents who volunteered their time to teach our young dancers. The dancers performed annually at our Festival and by the 1990s we had grown large enough to form 3 groups of dancers divided by age. Our dancer’s range in age from 6-18. Our groups regularly perform at our Metropolis of Pittsburgh’s Greek Folk Dance Festival and have traveled to compete in other Greek Folk Dance Competitions. Throughout the years the Olympic Flame dancers have become well known to the local public, which has resulted in an increase in requests to perform at places such as: schools, businesses, and libraries. In 2016 we proudly hosted our fourth Metropolis of Pittsburgh Folk Dance Festival welcoming over 150 dancers to the Harrisburg Hilton and our beautiful Cathedral for workshops and performances.
Our dancers learn and perform dances from all over Greece including the islands and mainland. Our beautiful costumes reflect these various regions.
We wish to thank all those who have supported or contributed to our group over the years. We also want to express our gratitude to our dancers for their spirit, commitment, and dedication. It is their desire for continuing our dancing tradition that will never let the Flame be extinguished!
Holy Trinity Cathedral Tours
Friday, May 17th1:00 pm Saturday, May 18th12:30 pm Sunday, May 19th1:00 pm |
Dear Guests, On behalf of our Community, I would like to warmly welcome you to our 52nd Annual PA Greek Fest! Our Festival chair, committee chairs, and volunteers work hard throughout the year to make this a most memorable event for each and every visitor. Whether this is your first time attending Greek Fest or if it is one of your annual “must-attend” events, we thank you for spending time with us today. A Little About Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral was established in 1937 by Greek immigrants. Our current location was opened in 1970 and consecrated as a Cathedral in 1980. Our Parish is part of the Metropolis of Pittsburgh, under the jurisdiction of Metropolitan Savas, that runs the umbrella of the Greek Archdiocese of America which is a Province of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople. The Patriarchate of Constantinople was established as a Church in 37AD by St. Andrew, the Apostle of Christ. Thus, we may say that this Holy Trinity Cathedral is connected to the Apostles of Christ and thus with the original Church established by Christ which started in 33AD by Christ Himself proclaiming that even ‘the gates of Hades shall not prevail over it”(Matt.16:18). Quite impressive! |
With this, you may say that we observe the history of the Church, and we wish to belong to this sacred Body, the historical Church of Christ. You are right! We have a history of 2000 years and receive the disciplines, practices, and messages throughout the past of the Church. Our Sources of our Christian Faith are the Holy Scripture and Holy Tradition.
St. Athanasios the Great (298-373)--Patriarch of Alexandria (Egypt) (326-373)--explained that it is the Orthodox Church alone that adheres to that which “Christ taught, the Apostles preached, and the Church Fathers kept.” Today, there are more than 350 million Orthodox Christians worldwide.
Experience Orthodox Christianity: Church Tours & Services. At some point in your visit, be sure to visit the cathedral. We have added new exhibits this year, which include relics of saints. Once inside, our church tour guides will be happy to talk with you.
Myself, and Father Aaron Gilbert – will hold focused discussions at the following times.
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Friday, May 17th: |
2:00 pm & 5:00 pm |
At 6pm on Saturday, you might want to attend the Great Vespers service which is the first service of the liturgical day. At the beginning of the service, we will explain with a few words its meaning.
Once again, thank you for visiting. If you need anything or have any questions, please ask any of our volunteers. They will be happy to help you.
Gratefully,
Fr. Michael Varvarelis, Cathedral Dean
Inside Menu
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À la Carte
Layers of eggplant and seasoned ground beef, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and baked to perfection.
Ziti macaroni alternated with seasoned ground beef, topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and baked to perfection.
A festival favorite, the delectable lamb shank prepared Greek style – slowly roasted and basted with a marinade of olive oil, garlic, oregano and topped with our savory homemade OPA sauce.
Blend of spinach, feta & other cheeses wrapped in phyllo.
Blend of feta & other cheeses wrapped in phyllo.
Fresh greens, pepperoncini, Kalamata olives, tomatoes & feta. Served with Gazebo Room dressing on the side.
Greek style meatballs in our savory homemade OPA sauce.
Hand-wrapped grape leaves filled with seasoned beef & rice topped with an egg lemon sauce. ****Common food allergens include, but not limited to milk, soy, tree nuts, eggs, etc. **** (need a note about gluten)
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An assortment of our most popular pastries:
Our signature pastry. Layers of phyllo & walnuts topped with a sweet honey syrup.
Custard filling wrapped in phyllo, baked & topped with syrup.
Shredded phyllo filled with walnuts, almonds & topped with syrup.
Sweet butter & almond cookies topped with powdered sugar.
Delicious butter cookies made with a twist & great with coffee. Gourmet Greek Grocery
Fresh greens, pepperoncini, Kalamata olives, tomatoes & feta. Served with Gazebo Room Dressing on the side. Take-Out: All of the food and pastries are available for take-out upon request. Packages include special varieties of irresistible pastries and savory frozen meals. We are also offering for sale reusable grocery bags for your convenience. |
Outside Menu
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Gyro & Souvlaki Stand
Cooked gyro meat, tomatoes, onions, Tzatziki “cucumber garlic” sauce on pita bread.
Chunks of fresh pork or chicken marinated in lemon, olive oil & oregano, served on pita with tomatoes, onions & Tzatziki sauce.
Chunks of fresh pork or chicken marinated in lemon, olive oil & oregano char-grilled on a skewer.
Tomatoes, onions, lettuce, Tzatziki sauce and feta cheese on a grilled pita bread.
Saganaki & Pitas Stand
Greece’s version of fried cheese - Kefalograviera cheese sauteed and flambéed in brandy! Opa!
Blend of spinach, feta & other cheeses wrapped in phyllo.
Blend of feta & other cheeses wrapped in phyllo. |
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Loukoumades
Golden fried honey puffs topped with honey syrup and dusted with cinnamon and walnuts!
Baklava Sundaes, Coffees & Ice Cream
VISIT OUR OUTSIDE GROCERY Our Pastries offered in take-home sizes and assortments as well as T-Shirts for sale.
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Our Gift to You!
Our Festival is our gift to you - the good people of the greater Harrisburg area. Our heritage is a precious inheritance; and we are privileged to share it with you, our faithful patrons. The Byzantine atmosphere of our lovely Cathedral, the lively Greek music and dancing and the wonderful aromas of Greek food and pastries combine to make this one of the most enjoyable events that you will ever attend.
In 2023, we were proud to donate a share of our proceeds to the following ministries, projects and organizations:
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Vickie’s Angel Foundation |