You might have your Labor Day weekend already planned—but take an hour or two and head over to the annual Greek Festival, put on by the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church. It’s a St. Louis staple and an end-of-summer tradition that shouldn’t be missed. The festival, which is now in its 92nd year, began as a private family and Greek community get-together before school started, church secretary Katherine Ellis says. It opened its doors—and kitchen—to the public in the early 1970s. (And we’re glad it did.)
On festival weekend, right before you get to the corner of Forest Park Boulevard and Kingshighway, you’ll smell meat cooking and hear the live music booming. Turn the corner, and you’ll see a seemingly endless amount of choices of where to get some grub. Food is the festival’s main attraction, and it’s not hard to see why. You'll find it at multiple outdoor tents, the large indoor (read: "air-conditioned") community center, and at the "Taverna on the Park," which is meant to evoke the experience of being at an outdoor cafe in Greece. The church’s parishioners serve up ethnic favorites like gyros, lamb shanks and spanakopites (a savory pastry on filo dough stuffed with spinach and cheese filling). Chicken and Greek salads are also available. And if you’re craving something sweet, check out the 100-foot long pastry table, where you can get not just baklava straight up, but served as a sundae, with baklava bits sprinkled over frozen custard.
For the chef (as opposed to the foodie) the festival offers imported olive oil and cheeses, as well as cookbooks to prepare your own Greek feast. For the collector, there are tables filled with imported jewelry, dolls, vases and t-shirts. And once you have a full belly and some souvenirs, don’t skip the traditional Greek dancing. Though this is the oldest ethnic festival in St. Louis, you’d be mistaken to assume it is without a sense of exuberance…even the shy should be prepared to holler Opa! at least once.
The St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church Greek Festival can be found at 4967 Forest Park in the Central West End. Admission and parking are free; hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sat and Sun; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon., with dance performances scheduled both days at 12:30 p.m., 3:15 p.m., 4 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. For more information, go to sngoc.org/GreekFest/default.htm, or call 314-361-6924.
