Greek Festival in Washington DC - 2011

Washington DC’s largest and oldest Greek Festival, located at the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, celebrates its 51st anniversary in 2011. Since 1960, the Ladies’ Society has prepared their authentic Greek fare in two small church kitchens at the festival, using recipes passed down from generation to generation and producing a menu of Greek favorites like, Mousaka, Pastichio, Manestra, Spanakopita, Tyropita, Dolmades, as well as succulent Greek pastries such as, Baklava, Diples and Kataifi. In addition to Greek food, the festival features authentic Greek coffees, beers, wines, and live music, as well as a Greek Marketplace offering books, jewelry and trinkets. The festival is open to the public with FREE admission and parking.

Dates and Times
Sept. 16-18, 2011
Friday and Saturday, noon to 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.

Location
Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church
4115 16th Street, NW (corner of Upshur Street)
Washington, DC

Website: www.schgoc.org

History of the Greek Festival and the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church

The first three-day Greek festival was held in 1960. The festival had originated as a small one-day bazaar in the late 1940s, which later developed into the largest Greek festival featured today in Washington, DC. The 93-year old church was started by a small group of Greek immigrants in 1918 at 6th and C streets, NW, in Washington, DC, headed up by Fathers Menides and Metaxopoulos with a small congregation of 100. The 16th and Upshur location was acquired in 1954 to fulfill the growing numbers of parishioners currently at over 1400 members.