Written by Julia Gralki, Illustration by Sian Rips
After 1.5 years of covid restrictions, the Savanah Greek Festival will open its doors for the 70th edition Thursday through Saturday this week. While the festival was fully canceled in 2020, it will come at a reduced size this year with food only available through pick-up and there will be no inside festivities.
Nonetheless, the most important attraction of the festival remains the same: the homemade Greek food. Visitors can choose from a variety of Greek dishes on the organizer’s website before picking them up at the Hellenic Center at the Anderson Street entrance between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.
“While a traditional Greek Festival would be a lot more fun, safety is our number one concern,” a post on their Facebook page read. “In an extra effort to remain safe, there will be no walk-up or drive-up ordering.”
The food offers include dolmades, spanakopita, pastichio, meatballs and a selection of Greek pastries and desserts. The festival’s longevity and more than a thousand visitors a year are proof that Savannah’s Greek Festival takes a lot of love and pride into the preparation of traditional food.
“Typically, we have a big festival atmosphere with music, costumed dancers performing traditional Greek dances, church tours, vendors and more,” said Tommy Danos, who is part of the organizing team.
This year’s Greek Festival will be different but even the reduced version gives the community enough reasons to return and celebrate Greek culture. “The fact that the festival has been around for that long is a testament to the desire that the community has in participating in being Greek for a weekend,” said Danos.
While they are slowly returning to normalcy, Danos is hoping to host the full Greek Festival in 2022. Until then, they will stay open to change and adapt to the situation at hand.
