UTAH – The annual Greek festival in Salt Lake City will take place for the 49th time from Friday, September 5 to Sunday, September 7.
Held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral, at 279 South 300 West in Salt Lake City, the festival, which started in 1976, is known for being the second largest cultural festival in Utah, and the largest Greek festival West of the Mississippi.
Spanning across three days, the Greek Festival offers Utah a true taste of Greece, with authentic food – including gyros, souvlakia, lamb, dolmades, pastitsio, keftedes, loukoumades, and more. There will also be music, traditional Greek dancing performances, family-fun activities, and cultural experiences and displays for everyone to enjoy.
Those who attend will have the opportunity to tour Holy Trinity Cathedral, as well as view the displays at the Hellenic Cultural Museum (located on the lower level of the church), which was built in 1992, and explore hundreds of photos and exhibits about the Greeks in Utah in the early years. There will also be a ‘Legacy of Greek Architecture’ presentation taking place, open for anyone to attend.
In a press release provided by the Salt Lake CIty Greek Festival, the Festival’s Chairman, George Karahalios, welcomed all visitors to this year’s event and described what people can expect.
“Experience Hellenism and Orthodoxy as we showcase our delicious food, spectacular dancers, hospitality, and our Orthodox faith through guided tours of our beautiful Cathedral and impressive Museum,” Karahalios said in a statement.
“I hope this year’s festival will be the biggest and best! So, as we say in Greek, ‘Kalos-orisate’ (welcome) and ‘Kali-dia-ske-tha-si’, (have a great visit). Let the fun begin. OPA!”
Fr. George Nikas, Dean of the Cathedral of Holy Trinity in Salt Lake City, on behalf of the Parish, also welcomes visitors to the Festival (as stated in the press release), inviting them to ‘become Greek’ for the weekend, and immerse themselves in the Hellenic culture.
“As Hellenes, we are known for our hospitality and our love of life. We are confident that you will experience both sentiments while you enjoy our fabulously delicious food and desserts, dance to our upbeat music with our exciting Greek Youth Dancers and discover more about our Eastern Orthodox Faith while touring our magnificent Holy Trinity Cathedral,” Fr. George said.
“We are most grateful to our many volunteers and sponsors, without whose dedication and countless hours of labor, this Festival would not exist. It is to their credit that this wonderful event attracts over 40,000 people from across the Beehive State and beyond. Your generosity in supporting our Church’s major fundraiser affords us the opportunity in turn to give back to our community by donating a portion of our proceeds to local charities as well as Community Outreach efforts, with which we are most proud to assist,” he said.
He additionally sent his prayers and wishes that all who attend will have an enjoyable weekend, “full of ‘κέφι’ – fun, with an attitude!”
The Salt Lake Greek Festival is being held on Friday and Saturday, 5 and 6 September, from 11 AM to 10 PM, and on Sunday, September 7, from 12 PM to 8 PM.
Entry to the Festival is $5 per person, with free admission for those under the age of five, seniors of 65, veterans, first responders, and students with their ID cards.
