The Savannah Greek Festival is 75 years old this year. That’s longer than most Savannah restaurants have been around, and longer than a lot of us have been alive.
St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church hosts it at the Hellenic Center, 14 West Anderson Street, October 8 through 10, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Admission is free all three days. There’s Greek dancing, music, church tours, and a marketplace, and the food comes from parishioners and volunteers who spend months getting ready for it.
I’ve covered Savannah food for 15 years, and this event doesn’t try to be anything new. It shows up every October and does it well. People bring their kids, those kids grow up, and they bring theirs. That’s how an event becomes a tradition. And that’s why it has become one of Savannah’s most treasured culinary traditions.
Now the practical part. The lines get long, especially on weekends when the entertainment is going. If you want your food fast, order online ahead of time at savannahgreekfest.com and skip most of the wait. If you’d rather wander and take it all in, Friday is the easier day to do it.
But if you’ve got time to spare, show up hungry, get there early, and give yourself time to stay a while. Most people do, particularly on Saturdays.
