The scent of lamb, honey and fresh bread will again mark the end of summer in north Stockton as St. Basil’s Greek Orthodox Church will open its 66th annual Greek Food Festival on Sept. 5.
First staged in 1960 at the Civic Auditorium, the festival rotated through Delta College and the Scottish Rite Temple before settling at the church grounds in 1987, according to parish records. What began as a parish fundraiser has grown into one of Stockton’s longest-running cultural events.
““In the early days, ladies of the church from Stockton, Lodi, Manteca and Tracy had been making the pastries at home and bringing them to the festival,” Gayle Maduros, who has overseen the pastry production of the festival for 25 years, told HerLife Magazine. “They gave me their authentic Greek recipes on scraps of paper and I put them into a binder. Then, using those recipes, we began gathering in the church kitchen to make the foods on site.”
This year’s menu includes dolmades, pastitsio, calamari and gyros, along with desserts such as koulourakia, karidopita and baklava. Food will be served indoors and outdoors, with meals available to take home.
The Bay Area band Kymata will provide live music throughout the weekend. A children’s zone will be open, and organizers plan to install shade cloths and misting stations to address late-summer heat.
Proceeds benefit ministries and charities supported by St. Basil’s. Sponsors include ASE Development, BAC Community Bank and Mercedes-Benz of Stockton.
Hours are noon to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5; children 11 and under are admitted free with an adult.
More information is available at stocktongreekfoodfest.com or 209-478-7564.
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