PISCATAWAY, NJ – St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1101 River Road in Piscataway, hosts its 51st Annual Greek Festival May 16-19. This Central Jersey tradition kicks-off New Jersey’s ‘Greek Festival Season’ which lasts from May until October at Greek churches throughout the State. The St. George Piscataway Festival is synonymous with ‘philoxenia’, welcoming everyone to explore Greek culture through homemade food, good music, traditional dancing, and cultural tours. The Festival attracts upwards of 15,000 patrons annually to celebrate all things Greek. Hours: Thursday, May 16, 4-9 PM; Friday, May 17, 11 AM-11 PM; Saturday, May 18, 11 AM-12 AM midnight; and Sunday, May 19, 12-8 PM.
Each year, the parish of St. George Piscataway works together to host the Festival and bring its well-known Greek hospitality to the community. The event is currently a staple in Piscataway Township and Middlesex County, and is one of the largest and most well-attended Greek Festivals in the state of New Jersey. This Central Jersey tradition is also known for its enthusiastic volunteers and delicious homemade Greek food and pastries. The recipes have been passed down for several generations within the community, and are a testament to their connection with their Greek heritage.
The volunteers have been busy preparing various Greek delicacies like pastitsio, moussaka, dolmades, tiropites, spanakopites, baklava, koulourakia, and melomakarona, just to name a few. Everyone’s favorites, like souvlakia, gyros, and loukoumades will be returning to the outdoor Taverna, as well as octopus, Greek fries and loukaniko. In the indoor dining area, meals like roast chicken Athenian, sliced lamb, and the mezedaki platter will be available. There are also plenty of vegetarian options. Entertainment includes the community’s award-winning Greek folk dance groups as well as live traditional music.
Cut the lines, order online! Order ahead with timed pick-up to take food home or enjoy on the Festival grounds: https://njbestgreekfest.square.site/
The first ‘NJ’s Best Greek Fest’ took place in 1974. It began as a fundraiser to install air conditioning in the church. Utilizing the time and talents of the Greek-immigrant parishioners, volunteers baked pastries at home, local chefs cooked and grilled the Greek delicacies that have become well-known on-site during Festival Weekend, and the youth presented Greek folk dances to live music. As the largest Greek community in central Jersey with over 800 families, St. George Greek Orthodox Church continues this cultural tradition each year.
A 501 (c)3 non-profit, St. George Greek Orthodox Church was founded in 1916 to tend to the spiritual needs of the New Brunswick-area Greek community. It also serves to sustain and perpetuate the Greek culture through its youth programming, Greek language and religion classes, its Annual Festival, and traditional Greek folk dancing program, as well as support community involvement through its many organizations such as the Philoptochos-St. Barbara Chapter, PTO, Senior Citizens, Cretans Fraternity, St. George Knitting Group, and chapters of the American Hellenic Education Progressive Association (AHEPA) and Daughters of Penelope.
More information is available by phone: 732-463-1642 and online: https://www.gocnj.org.
