Big Fat Greek Festival

Celebrate the 28th Annual Greek Festival with food, folks and fun at St. George Orthodox Church in Hamilton.

By: Jim Boyle
"Volunteers

TimeOFF/Frank Wojciechowski
Volunteers at St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Hamilton worked for two days to prepare hundreds of pounds of moussaka in time for the 28th Annual Greek Festival May 15-18.


   It’s 10 a.m. on a beautiful Tuesday in April and there are tears in Dorothy Gazonas’ eyes. Soon, Mercini Ginis, Maria Kartsonis and Voula Lafharis are also wiping their soaked, red faces. No, they haven’t been told some devastating news. It’s just something to be expected when you’re peeling more than a hundred pounds of onions.
   The women are gathered in the St. George Greek Orthodox Church kitchen to begin the early stages of preparation for the two-day task of whipping up more than 350 pounds of moussaka. The Herculean task is in anticipation of the hundreds of guests they expect to attend the church’s annual Greek Festival May 15-18.
   "Almost all of the dishes are cooked to order the day of the festival," says Hope Armenti. "Dishes like moussaka require a lot of prep work, so we can’t make the whole dish in one day. We freeze it after we’re done and cook it during the festival."
   A sampling of the list of homemade dishes being cooked by parish volunteers shows what an important part food plays in the Greek culture. Visitors at the four-day celebration can get a taste of pastitsio, spanakopita, souvlaki and arni psito. For dessert, try pastries such as baklava, galato bourekia and kourabiedes for starters. Don’t worry, you don’t have to pronounce the food in order to eat it.
   "Hospitality is very big in the Greek home," says Ms. Armenti. "Anyone who has gone to Greece knows what a big role food and dancing takes. It’s that feeling of community and family."
   These days, you don’t have to go to Greece for the culture — many people have become familiar with it at the local cineplex or video store. Last year’s My Big Fat Greek Wedding enjoyed immense success. The low-budget film, written by and starring Nia Vardalos, went on to gross more than $240 million. Most of the original cast, with the notable exception of John Corbett, is now starring in the successful CBS sitcom adaptation, My Big Fat Greek Life.
   "I think non-Greeks enjoyed it more than Greeks," says Ms. Armenti. "I think a lot of ethnic groups can identify with how warm and welcoming Greek people are."
   Attracting folks from places such as Burlington and East Brunswick, the festival has become a major fund-raising event for the parish. Proceeds from the festival contributed heavily to the construction of the church’s administrative building about five years ago. The addition houses classrooms, meeting rooms and offices. Now in its 28th year, the annual festival proves there’s more to the Greek culture than overbearing relatives and Windex.
   Besides more food than imaginable and ethnic dances, several kiosks will be selling Greek jewelry, leather, handmade pottery, scarves, paperweights and oil paintings.
   It takes an incredible amount of hard work and perseverance to pull off the annual fete. "We get a lot of volunteers," says Ms. Armenti. "They are very dedicated to making each year as good, if not better, than the last."
   The parish can also rest easy about the festival’s future. Many of the congregation’s children happily give up their free time to be a part of the planning and preparation.
   "There are at least three generations of Greek involved," says Ms. Armenti.
   It is the interaction between the generations that helps keep the traditional culture alive. Many of the participants, such as Ms. Kartsonis, are originally from the homeland. They know what a pleasure it is to be able to immigrate to another country and still keep their cultural ties in tact.
   "I don’t think the Greeks have the history of struggle in America that other cultures do," says Ms. Armenti. "My father moved here and became a businessman. He always used to say, ‘God bless America that I can be afforded the opportunity to be successful.’"
The 28th Annual Greek Festival takes place at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1200 Klockner Road, Hamilton, May 15-18. Festival times: Thurs. 5-11 p.m, Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.-midnight, Sun. noon-8 p.m. For information, call (609) 586-4448.