ANN ARBOR, MI — In Greece, when day turns to night, the town square comes alive. People eat and drink, musicians and dancers perform and kids run freely.
Konstantin Prokos said that’s the scene he wants to partly recreate in Ann Arbor with the Ya’ssoo Greek Festival.
“We’re offering our version of a Greek summer night,” said Prokos, director of the festival. “In the plaza, in the town square.”
That’s what the festival does: It turns the parking lot of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, 3109 Scio Church Road, into a festive Greek plaza where people can spend their weekend.
Vendors run by church members and volunteers sell Greek food and drinks. There’s live music and traditional Greek dancing performed by young parishioners. Kids run around. Friends gather. Strangers share tables.
The annual festival began Friday, June 6, and continues through the weekend, running 11 a.m. to midnight Saturday, June 7, and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, June 8. Entry costs $5.
More information on events and offerings can be found on the festival website.
While the Greek Festival serves as a fundraiser for St. Nicholas Church, it’s just as much about celebrating and sharing Greek culture and faith with the broader Ann Arbor community. Prokos said 20% of proceeds will go to Fisher House Ann Arbor, which builds homes for military and veteran families.
“This is about preserving our cultural traditions that we are getting further and further away from,” Prokos said. “We put an emphasis on these things as something beautiful and worthwhile. And the only way you can kind of grasp that is just to see (the dancers).”
The dancers — from young children to teens — are a favorite part of the festival for many. As the jaunty music played, they kicked their feet, frolicked in circles while holding hands and formed tunnels for other dancers to walk through.
Prokos noted the Greek Orthodox Church doesn’t attempt to grow its followers by knocking on doors or handing out tracts.
“That’s not a very effective way to evangelize,” he said.
Instead, the church throws a party.
“If you let people in, smile at them, give them good food for a good price, put on a party, you see where I’m going,” Prokos said.
The festival traces its roots back to 1973, when it was at the former Greek Orthodox church at 414 N. Main St.
It moved to its current home in 2004. Like many events, it paused for three years during the COVID-19 pandemic. When it returned in 2023, Prokos said people described it as feeling like “a family reunion.”
For Konstantine Ghirthis, who lives in Athens but lived in Ann Arbor from 1998 to 2009 while pursuing his doctorate and master’s degrees, the festival is a homecoming. He was a member of the Ann Arbor Greek Orthodox Church while living in town and now returns each summer.
“It’s unbelievable,” Ghirthis said. “The spontaneity of the people and the true joy when you encounter them sharing their religion.”
Lucas Tsetskhladze, 19, volunteered at the festival for the first time this year. He joined the church just five months ago and was eager to get involved. He was assigned to the loukoumades station — preparing fried dough puffs covered in honey syrup and sprinkled with cinnamon.
At his booth, Tsetskhladze and his team stirred dough in a large bin, fried it, then drenched it in honey and dusted it with cinnamon. He said he was most excited to see smiles on everyone’s faces.
Ted Yachimiak isn’t Greek Orthodox but is an Orthodox Christian and spoke about how welcomed he felt by the church.
“They see some of the young people who are enthusiastic about helping out with the church, raising money for their ministries, and they say, ‘Hey, you want to help out?’ We’re like, ‘Absolutely,’” he said.
In addition to the parishioners running the food and beverage booths, organizing the event and leading church tours, there were outside vendors selling jewelry and other handmade goods.
Christo Kanlideres ran one of those stands, offering bracelets, bags crosses and more. He travels the country working Greek festivals each weekend. The Miami native said his next stops include Baltimore, Texas and Nashville.
No matter where people come from, Prokos hopes they leave the festival with one thing.
“Open up to joy,” Prokos said. “Not so much create joy, but let joy loose. And get back to the basics in life — eating and drinking with joy. Enjoy simple friends, enjoy each other’s company. It’s a party around here.”
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