The 50th Annual Greek Food Festival brings three days of Greek food and culture to Birmingham on Oct. 5 to Oct. 7.
The Holy Trinity–Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Cathedral brings the event to the city each year offering Greek cuisine, music and dancing. Greek dancers of all ages also will be performing all three days.
Parishioners cook the entrees and desserts themselves using high-quality ingredients and serve it during the festival along with Coca Cola products and Greek beer and wines. The Greek Market Place will be open to sell Mediterranean and Orthodox souvenirs.
Admission to the open air festival is free, and tents with seating will be set up for diners and people who want to kick back and watch the show.
The festival runs from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. each day. Free parking is available in the former Liberty National parking garage, one block away on Richard Arrington Blvd. between 3rd and 4th avenues.
A drive-thru is available all three days from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Servers will greet you, take your big or small order and deliver it to your vehicle.
About 30,000 people attend the festival each year. The Holy Trinity – Holy Cross Greek Orthodox parish was chartered in 1906 and is the fourth-oldest Greek Orthodox parish in the Southeast.
The Byzantine basilica will be open for self-guided tours during the three-day festival, and parishioners will be available to answer any questions. And you can call ahead to schedule tours for school, church or other groups.
A portion of festival proceeds will be donated to Children’s of Alabama, Firehouse Shelter and Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama. Since 1972, the Greek Festival has donated more than $3 million to local and national charities.
In recent years, charities that have benefited from the festival have included Children’s of Alabama, Magic Moments, The Bell Center, The Exceptional Foundation, The Ronald McDonald House, The Fire House Shelter, Alzheimer’s of Central Alabama, Pathways, Family Connection, The Wellhouse, Jimmie Hale Mission, Safe House, Alabama Kidney Foundation, MS Society, and The Greater Birmingham Ministries.
Sponsors for the event are Tasty Town Greek Restaurant and Lounge, Alabama Beverage, Norton’s Florist, Coca Cola and many more local businesses. For more information and sponsor opportunities, visit birminghamgreekfestival.net.
More information about the church and the Greek community in Birmingham is available on the church’s website, holytrinity-holycross.com under the Our Parish link.
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