Going hungry is not an option at the 33rd annual Greek Festival in Schenectady this weekend.
With dishes sure to please every palate — from tsourEki, homemade loaves of sweet bread, to dolmades, stuffed grape leaves — the Greek Festival is sure to offer something special in the way of food.
More than 4,100 stuffed grape leaves will be prepared for the three- day festival, which begins Friday, Sept. 5, at 11 a.m.
Several other traditional Greek dishes and pastries, including moussaka, Olympian kotta and baklava, will be prepared for the event, which will be held at the Hellenic Center at 510 Liberty St. in Schenectady.
Each dish has its own distinct flavor. Thirty trays of moussaka, layers of eggplant, potatoes and sautEed ground beef topped with a cream cheese, will be available throughout the event.
If moussaka does not agree with the palate, maybe Olympian kotta, chicken with Greek spices and lemon would be a more appealing choice.
However, if a traditional dish is not appealing, a tasty traditional pastry may hit the spot.
Baklava, chopped walnuts baked inlayers of filo dough and honey syrup, might be a good dessert.
Outside the Hellenic Center, more common offerings including Gyros and souvlaki will be available from the grill.
There are no amateurs in the kitchen according to parishioner Olga Delorey, co-chair of publicity and advertising for the church. She said most of the people preparing the food own Greek restaurants or are professional chefs.
The festival began as a churchwide food festival.
Delorey said, People were lining up for all the food.
She said the festival has grown to include performances by a professional Greek dance troupe and a traditional Greek choir, as well as arts and crafts, raffles, carnival rides and games for kids.
The 33rd annual Greek Festival is rich in tradition and recognition of the Greek culture.
The dancers will perform 38 different dances, although they know more than 200, during the festival, which will feature four shows.
A professional dance troupe, which began as a group of teens from the church, will perform throughout the day.
The group travels the country performing traditional Greek dances in costume.
`We love being involved in the church and learning about our culture,` said Evan Euripidou, church vice president, who dances with the group.
Each folk dance costume holds a significance that represents the dancer.
From the traditional costumes, it is possible to tell in which part of Greece the individual lives because the types of fabrics used are representative of different climates. The amount of gold trim on a woman’s costume represents her wealth. Women also wear a gold chain with coins, which signifies the amount of dowry a suitor would receive if he were to marry the woman, according to Euripidou. The costumes also depict whether or not a woman is wed, Euripidou said.
Each costume can take up to 12 hours to complete, said Elaine Euripidou, who works with several other women and some of the dancers to make the traditionally accurate folkwear.
The Greek community extends beyond Schenectady into areas of Troy and Albany, where some of the dancers attend church.
Another component of the festival is the Greek singing. A group of seniors from the church has organized the music portion. A choir will perform each night of the festival. Three of the seniors will accompany the chorus on mandolins, which are commonly used in music from the Crete Island in Greece.
`We try to learn how the music relates to dance,` said Euripidou.
Behind the event is an active church community, which transcends generations to preserve the traditional Greek culture defined by their ancestors.
`The young people in the church are very interested in sharing the tradition,` said the Rev. Apostolos Panos.
The church is almost 100 years old, and its roots can be seen in all who attend. Several of the more than 160 families who belong to the parish have been attending St. George’s their whole lives.
Panos and Delorey said they are in awe at the fact their small ethnic parish has withstood time. However, they both agreed that the church has more than withstood time, it has grown and become a vibrant and active community where tradition reigns.
The building that houses the services is more than 70 years old. The church was rebuilt in 1937 after its first one burned down. The history can be seen in the ornate iconography and mosaic trim surrounding the stained glass windows.
The iconography displayed throughout the church tells a story from the Bible according to Panos.
Panos will give guided tours of the church throughout the festival.
The Hellenic Center, which was built in 1960, will be open throughout the festival for the purchase of traditional Greek foods.
Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Sept. 5 and 6, and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7. Admission to the event is free.“
