Whether rooted in Greek faith and tradition or simply curious to experience the culture for a day, visitors are invited to Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church’s annual Greek Village Food Festival.
The festival will feature authentic homemade Greek cuisine, live Greek music and dancing, family activities, and a Village Market offering imported Greek foods and specialty items.
“This is the only Greek county in Solano and Napa and Contra Costa county. Vallejo has been coming faithfully for years and decades,” said Catherine Stoupas, co-chair of the Greek Village Food Festival “This year we’re bringing back live music on Saturday. We’re excited to get people up and dancing and get people to participate in our culture that way along with our food that we’ve been preparing for a while.”
Those classic Greek dishes will include gyros, souvlaki, saganaki, calamari rings, Greek fries and Greek salad, as well as Greek pizza baked in a traditional wood-fired oven.
For dessert, the festival will offer authentic Greek favorites such as baklava and loukoumades.
“It’s very much the staples that are shared throughout Greece. We’re going to be exploring the different regions of Greece through our music and I know our band does a good job of highlighting those regions,” said Stoupas.
For community advocate and full-time volunteer Deme Stall-Nash, the recipes used for the festival are ones that have been passed down and used for 70 years.
The most important ingredient for every dish, she says, is love.
“It’s a Greek tradition to welcome everyone and to embrace everyone to enjoy our food and have fun. It’s very important to us to make sure that when anyone comes, that they’re welcomed with love and respect,” said Stall-Nash.
While recipes may vary from family to family and reflect different regions of Greece, from Athens to Crete, Stall-Nash said maintaining authenticity remains an important part of the festival.
“We have used the same recipes for 70 years. We don’t change our recipes, that’s why we’re very popular with our food. We use all the top ingredients, we don’t skimp, and it’s all made with love. When we bake, that’s how we do it,” said Stall-Nash.
Stoupas said Greek festivals have been a familiar sight everywhere she has lived, from Hawaii to the East Coast, bringing people together to enjoy food, tradition and community. She said sharing Greek culture with others remains an important part of that tradition.
“Our culture is dancing, our faith, our church, our food… all of that is going to be on display and opening that up for everyone to take part in,” said Stoupas.
By attending the festival, guests will also support the church’s efforts to help those in need, Stall-Nash said.
“(The church) opened in 1948, and we have been feeding the homeless,” Stall-Nash said. “By the community enjoying a good day and enjoying our food, they will also be helping our ministries to feed the homeless and those in need.”
Stoupas and Stall-Nash said they hope the festival offers something for everyone, whether they come to enjoy the food, experience the culture, celebrate their faith or simply spend time with the community.
“Just come and be Greek for a day,” said Stall-Nash.
This year’s festival will be a two-day event, running from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25, and 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26.
The Greek Village Food Festival will be held at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 1224 Alabama St. in Vallejo.
Admission and parking are free.
