FORT WORTH, TX – Texans, get ready to be immersed in Greek music, culture, food, and family-friendly fun, as Fort Worth in Texas prepares for its 56th Greek Festival.
Taking place at St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in, at 2020 NW 21st Street, Fort Worth, Texas, the three-day Festival will be held from Friday, November 7, to Sunday, November 9, promising an unforgettable weekend of Greek culture, food, and fun!
Serving as not only a fundraiser for the parish, the Festival also invites the Greek community and beyond to enjoy authentic homemade foods and sweets, as well as plenty of dancing, music and entertainment.
In an interview with The National Herald, the presiding priest at St Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church in Fort Worth, Fr. Nicholas Hadzellis revealed how it felt to host the festival again this year.
“Every year is a joy to host our Greek Festival. Our community has learned to view the festival as a ministry that involves every member of the Church in participation rather than just another fundraiser,” Fr Hadzellis told TNH.
“As a ministry, we can view our work as using our time and talents to glorify God. It’s not just about profits but becoming an icon of Christ. It’s easy to be an icon of Christ when everything is good and going well, but we are challenged in the busy-ness and hustle of the Greek Festival to remain an icon of Christ.”
For those who have yet to visit the Fort Worth Greek Festival, Fr Hadzellis described it as a “cultural experience”, with baked goods prepared by members of the community, delicious food, and music and dancing which is “lively and traditional” – something that draws the crowds in every year. He further detailed the food offerings people can expect.
“We will offer traditional savory plates that include leg of lamb, Athenian chicken, spanakopita, dolmathes, moussaka and Greek salad, and also we have our crowd-pleasing gyros, falafel, Greek fries, and saganaki,” he said.
“For the sweet tooth, we have classic baklava chocolate baklava, cheesecake baklava, baklava sundae, galaktabouriko, loukoumathes, ekmek, chocolate ekmek, melomakarona, kourambeithes, and koulourakia.”
As well as plenty of delicious food, there will also be tours of St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church taking place daily, in addition to special performances by the church’s youth and young adult dance groups, ranging from children aged four and up, all the way through to adults in their 30s.
The dancing performances will take place on the Friday, from 6 PM, and on the Saturday and Sunday, from 12 PM, and continue throughout the day.
When asked about what the 3-day Festival means to the Greek community of Fort Worth, Fr Hadzellis said it serves as a “community builder as much as it is about celebrating and sharing our faith and culture.”
“The workings of the Festival really challenge us to collaborate, work with, and forgive each other. This weekend, we have to problem-solve together, exercise patience and humble ourselves in effort to have a successful festival,” he said.
“This event has become a great way to meet new people, to build relationships with new people. We will find strangers working side by side with each other for hours, and by the time their shift is over, I hope they have become friends.”
Touching upon what makes this Greek Festival in Texas extra special, Fr Hadzellis said in 2024, the church began a year-round Greek Folk Dance Ministry, which will compete in the various metropolis folk dance competitions.
“Our dancers have practiced many hours, updated their folk costumes, and will showcase some of the new dances this year at the festival. So, this will be exciting to see,” he said.
“Additionally, we as a community have committed to support a local charity every year with proceeds from our festival. We see it as our opportunity to be a good neighbor for those in need or suffering some kind of insecurity. This year we are committed to support the Archway, a service that provides a way forward for survivors of intimate partner violence and builds stronger systems to prevent violence and protect lives.”
The St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church priest added how he most looks forward to the annual church tours that take place as part of the Festival.
“I love welcoming people to the church, whether it’s their first time, or if they come every year. I enjoy sharing our faith with those willing to learn something new,” he added.
“Many times, our guests are hearing about church history for the first time, and this is exciting for me. I also enjoy walking around the festival, visiting with our members working, and just welcoming our guests back to another fantastic festival.”
To find out more about the 56th Fort Worth Greek Festival, and its full event schedule, visit https://www.fortworthgreekfestival.com.
