By Julianne Mosher
Four days of Greek food, music, dancing, carnival rides and fireworks are returning to Port Jefferson this month as the Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption celebrates its 65th annual Greek Festival.
The event will take place Aug. 20 through Aug. 23 at the church, located at 430 Sheep Pasture Road, bringing thousands of visitors together for a celebration that organizers say is rooted as much in community and faith as it is in food and entertainment.
Father Louis Nicholas, who has been attending the festival since he was 12, said the event has grown tremendously over the decades while maintaining its family atmosphere.
“It’s the best [Greek] festival in the Northeast, maybe the country,” he said. “Definitely the largest.”
The festival has its roots in the church’s celebration of the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, which falls on Aug. 15. What began as a small picnic around the feast eventually grew into the four-day community celebration held today.
The church itself was established in 1959. As the congregation grew, so did the festival, eventually expanding into the larger community center and outdoor spaces used today.
For Nicholas, the festival remains centered around the church and its traditions.
“It revolves around the church,” he said. “We’re showing off culture, faith and filotimo.”
Filotimo is a Greek concept that can be loosely translated as hospitality, although Nicholas said the word encompasses something deeper.
“The festival is a wonderful experience of Greek culture and Orthodox faith,” he said, adding that visitors can experience filotimo by being welcomed into the community.
“When you come to the Greek festival, you’re participating in culture and faith and becoming one of us, part of the family,” Nicholas said.
Food is at the heart of the festival, with dishes prepared by the church’s volunteers and served from both the indoor and outdoor kitchens. All of the food is homemade, according to Nicholas, with hundreds of people able to sit and eat throughout the festival.
Visitors can expect traditional Greek favorites including gyros, spanakopita, souvlaki and loukoumades, along with a variety of other dishes and pastries. Entertainment will include live Greek music and a performance by St. John’s Hellenic Dancers on Saturday at 6 p.m. There will also be carnival rides, games, tours of the church and numerous vendors offering shopping opportunities.
For Nicholas, the combination of food, entertainment and community is what makes the festival special.
“There’s so much there,” he said. “It’s a wonderful four days.”
Fireworks will also light up the sky Friday and Saturday nights, a tradition that Nicholas said has been part of the festival for decades.
While the event has become a popular summer destination for the wider community, it also serves an important purpose for the church as its key fundraiser.
One of the festival’s biggest draws is its annual raffle, which features 200 prizes, including five cars and a motorcycle. The church sells approximately 3,600 tickets in some years and has sold out. The raffle drawing will take place on Sunday at 7 p.m.
Festival information
Greek Orthodox Church of the Assumption, 430 Sheep Pasture Road, Port Jefferson will present its Greek Festival from Thursday, Aug. 20 through Sunday, Aug. 23
The festival will be open Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Friday from 5 to 11 p.m., Saturday from noon to 11 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 10 p.m. Rides begin at 6 p.m. Thursday, and fireworks are scheduled for dusk Friday and Saturday.
Admission is $2, while children are admitted free.
Parking is available in the lot across from the church, with handicapped parking in front of the church. A shuttle will also operate from Ward Melville High School.
With food, music, rides, fireworks, dancing and the annual raffle all returning, Nicholas said the festival remains a celebration that is meant to be shared well beyond the church community.
“It’s a wonderful experience of Greek culture and Orthodox faith,” he said.
For more information, call 631-473-0894 or visit www.portjeffgreekfest.com.
