Andy Fillmore
| For the Daily News
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The 33rd annual Greek Fest will be held at Saints Markella and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Mary Esther, Florida, from October 17-19.The festival will feature Greek food, including roasted lamb, pastitsio, and various pastries, along with Greek wine.Entertainment will include live music, Greek dancers, and activities for all ages.The event celebrates Greek culture and the history of the church, which was chartered in 1975.
You’ll likely hear lots of “opas!” at the 33rd annual Saints Markella and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church Greek Festival, set for Oct. 17 ,18 and 19.
Visitors are invited to the church’s grounds in Mary Esther for the festival, which will feature Greek food and entertainment.
“The setting will allow you to think for a while that you have been transported to Greece, sitting under a canopy, enjoying delicious food with family and friends, while music and dancers provide you with enchanting entertainment,” a church press release states.
The family oriented Greek Festival will celebrate the “vibrant culture with delicious food, lively music, and fun activities for all ages” including a bounce house, balloon twister and vendors, the release indicates.
The menu at the festival will include: Greek roasted lamb; pastitsio or “Greek lasagna”; tiropita, crispy dough filled with cheese; spanakopita, crispy dough filled spinach and feta; lamb gyro; souvlaki; marinated pork; and of course, Greek salad, according to the release.
Lamb will be roasted “fresh on an outdoor spit,” and Greek pastries like baklava and Greek coffee will be available, the press release states, along with Greek wine.
Saints Markella and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church began as a chapel established in the 1960s as a fulfillment of a family’s promise to their patron saint, according to greekfestfwb.com.
The chapel became a mission of Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Pensacola in 1968 and the church was chartered by the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of North and South America on Oct. 21, 1975, with its first full-time priest, Father George Konstantopoulos, the website states.
And don’t forget: If you go, shout a few “opas” as the Greek dancers perform.
What: 33rd annual Saints Markella and Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church Greek Fest
Where: 104 Bryn Mawr Blvd., Mary Esther
Phone: 850-244-0822
Web: www.greekfestfwb.com
Festival hours: Oct. 17, 4-8 p.m.; Oct. 18, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Oct. 19, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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