38th Annual St Barbara Greek Festival

Start: Friday, February 18, 2022 11:00AM
End: Sunday, February 20, 2022 6:00PM

Whether you eat, shop or relax, you'll gain an understanding of the Greek culture while experiencing the best Greek Festival this area has to offer. The St. Barbara 38th Annual Greek Festival is coming February 18-20 on the church grounds in Sarasota. The three day festival is where "old world customs and traditions" meet featuring tasty authentic Greek food to complete the experience. Adults and children can enjoy live entertainment while shopping our unique vendors. For those who feel a yen for culture, or crave fine dining, this Greek Festival has it all covered! Visitors of all ages will find a variety of things to do at the festival. The authentic, homemade cuisine boasts a variety of traditional recipes brought directly from Greece by St. Barbara’s Greek cooks who came to America decades ago. Greek food is famous for taking simple, fresh ingredients like fresh vegetables, cheese, olive oil, meat, fish and herbs and making them into extraordinary creations. Sip a cup of Greek coffee at the Kaffenio, and enjoy mouth-watering Loukoumathes, honey-sweetened puffs prepared onsite. Like sweets? Then this Festival will be a paradise! Top off the meal with one of the many delicious pastries, including the most popular Baklava and better yet…Baklava Cheesecake! Yasou, a traditional Greek expression that means "health to you" is also used as a greeting when saying hello and goodbye. The saying is also expressed when drinking, similar to the English expression "cheers". Whether you indulge in one of many acclaimed Greek wines, or enjoy a glass of the famous Greek Ouzo or Metaxa. A variety of Greek beers will be available along with soft drinks. The big tent heats up with live music by the sounds of The Omega Project Band. The entertainment is one of the festival highlights. Enjoy the church’s Hellenic Dancers as they celebrate Greek heritage with traditional and innovative dances. For guests who don’t know how to dance Greek, the St. Barbara dancers will happily give lessons! Greek festival attendees are invited to visit the church’s sacred sanctuary and witness a beacon of light, hope and inspiration from the deep-rooted Greek religion. Hear more about the Orthodox Christian Faith, view the beautiful and inspiring mosaics, and be in awe of the magnificent dome during one of the educational guided Church tours. Guided tours are every hour on the hour between the hours of 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm. Bring the children on Friday night and all day Saturday and Sunday, to enjoy our Kids Adventure Zone. Knowing how finicky kids can be about eating, festival planners have created a special menu so they will be able to indulge in their favorite things such as hot dogs and popcorn! The festival offers an abundance of vendors featuring a wide variety of merchandise. The Greek Festival is located at St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, 7671 North Lockwood Ridge Road (at corner of Tallevast) February 18-20 with doors opening from 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM on Friday & Saturday and from Noon to 6:00 PM on Sunday. Free parking on site or take the shuttle bus from the Church of the Trinity (Friday – Sunday) one mile north of St. Barbara Church. Admission is $5.00 for a 3 day pass adults and children under 12 are free. A portion of the donations will benefit the Manatee County Sheriff’s Badge of Honor. Check out our website: www.StBarbaraFestival.org for further details. So maybe you can’t make Greece this year, but our Greek Festival is a great alternative! FESTIVAL CONTACT: Dina Hobson (941) 355-2616 St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church Telephone: 941-355-2616 Fax: 941-355-0013 Email: StBarbara34243@gmail.com Visit us: www.StBarbaraFestival.org ###