During Labor Day weekend, August 31st-Sept. 1st, the Greek Orthodox Church of Holy Cross hosted its annual Greek Festival. This year marks the 52nd anniversary of the festival. Growing up, the festival was notorious for being the main hangout for everyone in middle school. Now, experiencing the festival as a teenager, I realize it holds a different experience.
Festivals held at Greek Orthodox Churches are typically called a “panigyri,” an event used to raise money for the church. There are tons of food, dancing, and sometimes shops. These festivals are frequent in Greece, especially on smaller islands where funding is needed for parishes.
On the first day of the festival, my friend and I decided to visit the festival around 6 p.m. The first thing we realized after entering Alameda de Las Pulgas was the lack of parking available.
First, we attempted to use the Immaculate Heart of Mary parking lot, but it was completely full. Luckily, we found a spot in Lunardis, which is a supermarket about two blocks away from the festival grounds.
Once we started our walk to the church, we were greeted with a huge crowd of people waiting in line for tickets. After paying the entrance fee of five dollars, we walked up the hill to find food. Since it was 6 p.m., the dinner rush was happening, and we had to wait in line for a few minutes before finally placing our order.
The first item we tested was the calamari. Overall, it was pretty good, having a nice crunch, but it felt bland and unseasoned compared to others. If I had to put a number on it, I would give it a solid seven.
The second dish we tried was the lamb chops meal. The sign initially said that rice, lamb, Greek salad, and bread would be included, but to our surprise, the festival had run out of rice. In the traditional Greek culture, running out of rice is unheard of, especially on the first day of a major festival. I was incredibly disappointed; however, we were given extra lamb upon request.
The lamb was surprisingly good, the salad tasted fresh, and the bread was perfect, as expected. Overall, the flavors were pleasant, and I felt like the lamb was seasoned enough. The lamb meal deserved around an 8.5, but it gets points off for not having rice and for the lamb.
At the end of the day, I would rate the festival a 7/10. As a kid, experiencing festivals is different from a teenager’s perspective. In elementary school, this event was a way to play tag and have incredible hide-and-seek games. However, as a high school student, your main focus is to relax, eat, and talk with your best friends.