Annual festival celebrates richness of Greek culture

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Tacoma will hold its annual Greek Festival Oct. 3-5. This is the church’s primary annual fundraiser and some of the proceeds will also go to a beneficiary, this year to help fund renovations to McCarver Park. The festival opens each day at 11 a.m. and runs until 10 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4, and 7 p.m. Oct. 5. Admission is free.

The festivities happen both inside the church and in the adjacent parking lot under the cover of a big tent, so rain or shine the event will go on. Everything is handicap accessible, and everyone from children to seniors are heartily invited to come out and take part in all that’s planned.

Food is a big part of the event. Under the tent there will be a delicatessen featuring all kinds of Greek foods for sale like calamari, gyros, souvlaki and loukoumades (Greek doughnuts), Greek salads, and imported items like olives, olive oils and cheeses of all types.

Upstairs in the church building a bookstore/religious shop will be open with a selection of merchandise including T-shirts, jewelry, books and specialty items. There will also be a bakeshop selling homemade Greek pastries, which is a collective effort by many associated with the parish who start baking months before the festival.

In the church dining room, full sit-down dinners of chicken or fish will be served from opening until 8 p.m. Oct. 3 and 4 for $11, and lamb will be offered Oct. 5 only until 6 p.m. for $12. A special luncheon for $7 will be held 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 3 for businesspeople and senior citizens.

A Children’s Corner will keep the little ones entertained with coloring books, face painting and lessons on how to draw and paint religious icons and figures.

In addition, Rev. Father John C. Kuehnle will lead tours of the church that will be given many times during the three-day festival. Participants can learn all about the Greek Orthodox religion in a casual environment, which offers a great opportunity for festival-goers, said George Pirotis, a member of St. Nicholas parish for many years.

“They can ask any kind of question about the religion and the Greek community.”

St. Nicholas is home to a magnificent collection of icons imported from Greece that decorate the interior of the sanctuary in the 83-year-old church, and Father Kuehnle will talk about these as well.

Entertainment, dancing in particular, is another important aspect of the festival. Greek folk dancers will perform throughout the fest approximately every two hours beginning Oct. 3 at 6 p.m. and Oct. 4 and 5 at 1 p.m.

Pirotis is also a member of the festival’s steering committee and is helping with the entertainment portion. He said that among Greeks dancing is almost always part of any festivity. “Greeks like to celebrate life…and dance no matter what age they are.”

This year three groups of dancers representing various ages, from four-year-olds to some in their 80s, will take the stage to perform dances from different regions of Greece. Pirotis said a lot of the dances reflect the typography of the various regions – island dances are calm and even in pace like the waves of the Aegean Sea, whereas dancing from the mountainous areas of Northwest Greece are more energetic and robust.

From humble beginnings when the festival was a small bazaar organized by a few dedicated parishioners, the Greek Festival has evolved into a full-blown event staged by a dedicated steering committee and members of the parish who just want to help out.  

Pirotis said the fest presents a great opportunity for the broader population to learn about Tacoma’s Greek community and its rich cultural heritage.

“We are trying to preserve Greek culture through ethnic dancing and good food,” he said, which is important for American-born Greek youth in particular. The spirit behind the event is to “express a way of life…how things were done in the old country, and give the younger generation a chance to see and understand that. Most of them are born here and they are Americans, but at the same time they value and respect the culture presented to them by people coming from Greece.”

Pirotis said that visitors from Greece and Cyprus who have attended the festival in the past remarked over how pleased they are to see their culture hasn’t been overshadowed by American traditions. “When they see the younger generation performing and dancing they are impressed and surprised.”

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church is located at 1523 S. Yakima Ave. For more information, call (253) 272-0466 or visit http://www.stnicholastacoma.org.

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