LYNN — Saint George Greek Orthodox Church hosts the Lynn Greek Festival every year, which attracts thousands of residents from the North Shore to enjoy traditional Greek food, music and pastries.
Parish Council President George Kalliavas grew up in Revere and said he has been going to the festival since he was a young boy.
“For over 50 years, I would consider this a culmination of our heritage, the family values here at St. George, (and), quite frankly, the community,” Kalliavas said. “I like to call it the ‘Great Lynn Festival.’ It’s not exclusively about the church and being Greek.”
Approximately three to four thousand people attend the weekend-long festival each year, he said.
The funds raised from the festival account for approximately 20 percent of the church’s annual budget, Kalliavas said.
Planning for the festival begins in January, he said. More than 100 people volunteer, ranging from 80-year-olds baking pastries to 10-year-olds making salads.
“This is really about the community,” Kalliavas said. “It takes a village, and that’s the importance of this whole thing.”
Anita Rassias is the chairperson of the committee for pastry baking and sales, and started helping out in 2008.
She said grew up attending St. George, was baptized there, and was married there. The festival is a time for her to share her culture with the community.
Reverend Alex Orphanos, the presiding priest at St. George, attended his second festival since starting at the church in October 2022.
“I love this place — the atmosphere, the vibe, the culture, the faith that we have going on here,” he said. “It’s an amazing thing and the community does a wonderful job, and we love helping the Lynn community too.”
Peter Mikedis, co-chairperson of the festival, and his son, Andrew, have been working at the food station all three days of the festival this year. He said he has only missed two or three festivals since he began helping 34 years ago.
“You can quote me in every newspaper,” he said. “We have the best Greek food out of any festival in the entire state. It’s hands down.”
“Last night was actually really cool because I watched all the younger generation out there dancing… and that’s what it’s about,” he continued. “It’s about our culture — being Greek. It’s about Hellenism, and how do we promote that, and how do we keep that alive today and for future generations.”
His son, a current member of the church’s board of directors, said he has been involved with the festival since he was five years old. He said the camaraderie, especially among the food workers, is his favorite part of the festival.
“We want to make sure everyone that works has fun and enjoys themselves,” he said.
