Every detail to know about the Panegyri Greek Festival in Cincinnati

Get ready to shout “opa!” and feast on as much baklava and gyros as your heart desires because the annual Panegyri Greek Festival returns this week.

The three-day cultural event, hosted by the Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Finneytown, takes place June 26-28.

The annual Panegyri Greek Festival takes place at Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in Finneytown.

Ready to experience the Panegyri Greek Festival? Here’s everything you need to know.

But first, how exactly do you pronounce Panegyri?

If you’re not a native Greek speaker, we’re here to help.

Panegyri, pronounced pan-ah-GHEE-ree, loosely translates to “festival for everyone,” according to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.

All are welcome at the festival, whether you’re single or in a couple, with your family, an adult or a child.

When is the Panegyri Greek Festival?

The Panegyri Greek Festival takes place June 26-28.

Here are the hours:

Friday, June 26: 5-11 p.m.
Saturday, June 27: 3-11 p.m.
Sunday, June 28: 1-8 p.m.

The event features music, dance, cultural exhibits, cathedral tours and delicious Greek food and desserts.

Where is the Panegyri Greek Festival?

The festival takes place at Holy Trinity-St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 7000 Winton Road in Finneytown.

How much does it cost to enter the Panegyri Greek Festival?

Admission is $3 per person. Children 12 and under are free. A weekend pass is available for $5.

Active military, police, fire and EMTs enter free with an ID.

Where to park for the Panegyri Greek Festival

Free parking and a shuttle bus service is available from St. Xavier High School, 600 W. North Bend Road. In past years, nearby churches and businesses have set up paid parking areas.

What’s on the menu this year?

The festival has a variety of Greek dishes and desserts for guests to try.

Aglamesis Bros. and the Panegyri Greek Festival team up to create a limited edition baklava ice cream.

Appetizers

Mezethakia Plate: Meatballs, grape leaves, Kalamata olives, feta and pita bread.
Hummus Plate: Hummus, tzatziki, grape leaves, Kalamata olives, feta and pita bread (made with Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe hummus).
Saganaki Fried Cheese: Kasseri cheese pan-fried. Finished off with a shot of brandy and lemon juice.
Chili Cheese Fries: Crinkle-cut fries topped with chili and cheddar cheese (made with Dixie Chili).
Feta Fries: Crinkle-cut fries topped with feta and oregano.

Street foods

Gyro Sandwich: A blend of beef and lamb piled on a pita bread with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce.
Souvlaki Sandwich: A skewer of grilled pork tenderloin served on pita bread with tomatoes, onions and tzatziki sauce.
Souvlaki Skewer: A skewer of grilled pork tenderloin.
Tiropita Cheese Pie/Spanakopita Spinach Pie: Filo dough wrapped in the shape of a triangle, filled with a blend of cheeses. Spanakopita has the addition of spinach to the filling.
Greek Pizza: Topped with fresh spinach, tomatoes, feta cheese, seasoned olive oil and a mozzarella and provolone blend.
Coney Dogs: Made with Skyline Chili. In 1949, Nicholas Lambrinides, a Greek immigrant, and his three sons opened the first Skyline Chili restaurant in East Price Hill on Glenway Avenue.
Loukoumathes: Light and airy dough, deep fried, dipped in honey syrup and dusted with cinnamon.
Balkava Ice Cream: New this year, the Panegyri Festival collaborated with Aglamesis Bros Ice Cream to infuse its homemade baklava into their French vanilla ice cream.
Ice Cream: Vanilla or chocolate ice cream served in a cup.

Loukoumades at the 49th Panegyri Greek Festival.

Dinners

A la carte or full dinners are available. Dinners are served with rice pilaf, green beans, a small Greek salad and bread.

Oregano Chicken Dinner: Baked, bone-in chicken seasoned with Mediterranean spices and lemon.
Moussaka Dinner: Layered potatoes, eggplant and seasoned sauteed ground beef topped with a rich bechamel sauce.
Pastitsio Dinner: Layers of macaroni, seasoned sauteed ground beef and imported cheese, covered with bechamel sauce.
Tiropita: Filo dough wrapped in the shape of a triangle, filled with a savory blend of cheeses.
Spanakopita: Similar to tiropita, but with the addition of spinach to the cheese filling.

Side dishes:

Greek Salad: Lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, onions, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, oregano, Greek olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Village Salad: Cucumbers, tomatoes, red onions, green peppers, Kalamata olives, feta cheese, oregano, Greek olive oil and red wine vinegar.
Dolmatha: A vegetarian appetizer made from tender vine leaves wrapped into little rolls and stuffed with rice and fresh herbs, drizzled with lemon juice and olive oil.

A la carte:

Pasteries

Sokolatopita: Also new this year for desserts is a Greek chocolate cake. Using only the best Belgium chocolates, the cake is soaked in chocolate syrup and topped with a smooth chocolate ganache.
Baklava: Paper-thin sheets of filo dough, bathed in butter, layered with walnuts, sugar and spices, baked to a crispy golden brown and then drenched with homemade honey syrup.
Galaktoboureko: Creamy semolina custard wrapped in filo, baked and drizzled with honey syrup.
Kataifi: Finely shredded filo wrapped around a filling of ground nuts and dipped in honey syrup.
Koulourakia: A braided butter cookie.
Kourambiethes: Tender, buttery sweet cookies coated with powdered sugar.
Melomakarona: Honey-dipped spice cookie sprinkled with ground walnuts.
Pasta Flora: A delicate shortbread crust, filled with either apricot or raspberry preserves.
Tsoureki: Braided egg-rich sweet bread that is served throughout the year as a complement to any meal, but it is traditionally served during Christmas, New Year’s Day and Easter.
Assortment Box: Sample several of the homemade desserts. A box may include two baklavas, two melomakaronas, two kourambiethes, two koulourakia and one pasta flora (depending on availability, as contents may vary).

Things to do at the Panegyri Greek Festival

In addition to all the food available to try, the festival offers a few ways to experience Greek culture, such as listening to live music, dancing and checking out the marketplace.

The church, through its Greek Language School, has prepared a cultural exhibit called “Walk through History and Culture Exhibit – Ancient Times to Now.”

The exhibit explains Greece’s past and present and its contributions to humanity and Western civilization.

There are also free church tours available:

Saturday: 4, 5:30 and 7 p.m.
Sunday: 2, 3:30 and 5 p.m.

Ta Pedia Tis Criti, a dance group consisting of seventh-, eighth- and ninth-graders, perform at the 2025 Panegyri Festival.

Folk Dancing

Greek Folk Dancers take festivalgoers on a musical journey through Greece, featuring dances from both the mainland and the islands.

Guests are invited to an open dance at the end of each evening, so be sure to wear your dancing shoes.

Here are the performance times:

Friday:

6 p.m.: Pre-K, kindergarten, and first and second graders.
6:30 p.m.: Kids in grades third through sixth.
7 p.m.: Seventh, eighth, ninth graders and college-aged students.
8 p.m.: Adult Hellenic Dancers.

Saturday:

4 p.m.: Pre-K, kindergarten, and first and second graders.
4:30 p.m.: Kids in grades third through sixth.
5 p.m.: Pre-K, kindergarten, eighth, ninth graders and college-aged students.
6 p.m.: Kids in first through fourth grade.
6:30 p.m.: Kids in fifth through ninth grade.
7:30 p.m.: College-aged students.
9 p.m.: Adult Hellenic Dancers.