For some people, the official start of summer is Memorial Day.
For others, the end of school.
For me, it's Greek Fest. Once I sit down with a bottle of chilled red wine and a plate of dolmades, I know summer is finally here. And I couldn't be more ready for it.
I chatted with Andrea Junes Baker, one of the organizers of the Greek Fest, about what's new this year. She said it's the same old Greek Fest that Richmonders have come to love with its signature dishes of pastichio and moussaka.
But they're adding a new dish this year: Lamb sliders for $5.
Sliced roasted lamb with Tzaziki sauce. Yum.
Also, relatively new to the menu last year are Greek French Fries for $2.
"I think people are still getting used to them," Baker says. "But they are so awesome. They come out of the fryer and we sprinkle them with homemade spices and lemon juice. They're really fantastic and a traditional dish served in Greece."
But the biggest change, Baker says, is the two-story, 30,000-square-foot education building next to the cathedral, which was built in 2007.
"It's just beautiful on the inside," Baker says. "People need to come inside and see it." She also urges visitors to explore the Cathedral on one of the many free sanctuary tours offered throughout the four-day festival.
The Greek Festival typically draws between 25,000 and 35,000 people to the area around Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral at Malvern and Grove Avenues.
There will be drinking, dancing, eating and general merry-making at the Greek Fest starting this Thursday, June 3 and running through Sunday, June 6.
And you better believe we'll be one of them.
For more on the Greek Fest, including the menu, photos, parking suggestions and more, check out our Greek Fest Guide.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement