CLEVELAND — Baklava, Greek wines and gyros are the headliners this year and every year at the Tremont Greek Fest.
Festival co-chair Shawn Moshos said they’re opening the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church’s doors to tens of thousand of Ohioans for its 53rd celebration.
“We have an inside bar here, and then we have our pastry stand and then, of course, the entertainment stage where some of the groups dance,” Moshos said.
It’s the church’s biggest festival and fundraiser, Moshos said, kicking off the summer season with food vendors, live music and entertainment.
“Some other groups that come in and give you live Greek dancing and really take you through the cultural aspect of Greece and the longstanding cultures and traditions,” she said.
This Memorial Day weekend, the church is bringing back a local favorite.
“We also have collaborated with Collision Bend Brewery to make our Opa beer, which was a very big seller,” Moshos said. “Last year was our first year having that, and we have it this year again.”
The festival features wine imported from Greece and a local winery, Moshos said. (Spectrum News 1/Tanya Velazquez)
Food is the cornerstone of their festivities, said Kitchen Co-chair John Vianos.
“So we take big pride, big, big pride in putting the food together,” Vianos said. “The prep … starts back in the winter. Like [around] January, February, they start getting stuff ready.”
Vianos said he and his team are putting a twist on a traditional menu item.
“I think the lamb shanks are going to be a little bit better than—we always say that—but…this is the year that really set them apart from other years,” Vianos said.
At the end of the four-day celebration, Moshos said, she hopes to accomplish one goal:
“To keep our traditions alive and keep our church prospering for many more years to come,” Moshos said. “So our generation and our children coming up and their children can really learn and become the new members who are running the festival.”
