Naperville resident Brian Yesutis is definitely a fan of the Greek Fest held two times a year at St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church in Aurora.
“I’ve been coming here twice a year for the past five years. I get the gyros which are my daughter’s favorite,” Yesutis said as he made his way to his car parked outside the church during the fall version of the fest held over the weekend. “The gyros are really good. These are, by far, the best I’ve ever had and if this was a restaurant I’d be here more often.”
The two yearly servings of the festival serve as the main fundraisers for the church at 1855 Fifth Ave. in Aurora. According to organizers, the event has raised in excess of $125,000 during a three-day weekend run.
Event co-chairs Tracey Collins and Frank Demas said the festival has been held for more than 30 years, always in the months of May and September.
New this year, Collins said, was an opportunity on Friday to “learn how to Greek dance.”
Vendors offering authentic Greek products like olive oil and jewelry were on hand at the fest as well as live music that was performed inside a tent.
Demas said over a three-day weekend, the event usually attracts “3,000 to 4,000 people.”
“I think the reason these fundraisers are so successful is, first of all, the food,” he said. “The quality of the food is top-notch. I was the chairman when they had this at the Kane County Fairgrounds. For 15 years we had it there and when we came back here, things were taken to a new level. Social media has played a key role in our growth.”
Demas said he does all the ordering for the fest and that 750 half chickens are purchased for the Greek chicken patrons buy, along with 1,500 pounds of pork for the souvlaki.
Twice a year, more than 100 church volunteers come out to cook and serve authentic Greek food, bake pastries and welcome guests at the fests.
The dining area is busy on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026, during Greek Fest at St. Athanasios Greek Orthodox Church in Aurora. Organizers say food is one of the big draws for the event. (David Sharos/For The Beacon-News)
Michael Lehpamer of Plainfield was grilling pita bread Friday night and said he has helped prepare food before at the event.
“This is the seventh year I’ve cooked … I’m having a great time here connecting with the church and the people of Aurora,” he said. “We try hard to make the food as authentic as possible. I was talking to one of the cooks in the kitchen and they said – this is the way we used to do it in the old country.”
Nick Digrindakis of Naperville was grilling meat at the fest and, like many others helping out at the festival, has a long history with the church.
“I’ve volunteered a lot of years. I’ve been with the church since 1967,” he said. “People like the Greek food, like the music, the followship, like the desserts, the friendly people. It checks all the boxes.”
Tim Markwell of Aurora said the event is “amazing.”
“I love Greek food, especially from here,” he said. “Some of the places you get it at restaurants, I wouldn’t call it Greek.”
Laszlo Ivan and his wife Martha of Naperville were enjoying a meal at a table inside the church on Friday evening and said it was their first time trying out the festival.
“The food is good,” Laszlo Ivan said. “It’s very authentic. We’ve been to Greece and even though we’re Hungarian, this is very authentic. It’s very, very good.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
Dining and Cooking