Opa! Taste of Greece is back

Blue and white signs have been popping up all over Duluth as a reminder that this weekend is the annual Taste of Greece. On Saturday and Sunday, July 14 and 15, Marshall School will be transformed into a little Athens, where Greek food and drink will be served, costumed dancers will perform traditional dances, and T-shirts, dresses, books, hats and jewelry and any number of Hellenophilic items will be on sale.

For those with a sweet tooth, the extensive pastry table alone is probably worth the visit. Consider pairing a piece of flaky baklava with a small but potent cup of Greek coffee, and you may feel like dancing the “Zorba.” Best of all, admission is free.

“This is our church’s annual fundraiser, and it’s a lot of fun,” said Lee Regas, who coordinates dozens of volunteers to make the festival run each year. “Children from our church dance. We also invite a professional group of Greek dancers from the Twin Cities to perform.” Regas grew up in this tradition, he said: As a child and teenager, he donned a skirt-like fustanella, blouse with oversized sleeves, embellished vest, and tasseled cap to dance. Now, he adds, his children’s generation carries on the Greek tradition.

Alvine Shatto, who with Anna Regas will oversee the bustling kitchen during the festival, said she looks forward to the event every year. “We work hard, and we have a wonderful time.”

Men will be grilling souvlaki (small pieces of meat and vegetables on a skewer), filling the air with the delicious smells of grilled chicken and pork. Ice cream servers will drizzle vanilla ice cream with baklava sauce. Athenian chicken, dolmades (grape leaves stuffed with rice and meat), and the classic gyro, as well as many other dishes, will be on offer.

The festival is held each summer by the Twelve Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox Church. It will feature a “mini chapel” set up inside one room of the school for visitors who want to learn more about the beliefs and traditions of the Eastern Orthodox Church, the oldest of the Christian faith traditions.

Visitors are welcome to walk through the chapel and ask questions, said parish priest Rev. Timothy Sas, who will be available to answer queries. Books, music, and other religious items will be on sale.

A boutique with Greek pasta, olive oil, ouzo-flavored candy, and other treats will also be set up to attract

visitors.

The Taste of Greece will be held on Saturday from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

WHAT: Taste of Greece

WHO: Hosted by the Twelve Holy Apostles Greek Orthodox

WHEN: Saturday, July 14, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. and Sunday, July 15 from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m.

WHERE: Marshall School, 1215 Rice Lake Road.

WHY: to celebrate Greek culture, and a fundraiser for the church

Tags: budgeteer