Concord’s Greek food festival returns
The Taste of Greece Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in Concord is back. After a three-year hiatus, you can get your fix of homemade Greek cooking on Saturday, Sept. 30, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“Entrance [to the festival] is free and everybody’s invited!” says the Rev. Constantine Newman.
Dishes on sale under the main tent include all the classics: moussaka, dolmades, spanakopita, lamb and chicken souvlaki, Greek meatballs, gyro and baklava. There will also be a number of more unique entrees and desserts available, as well as salads, water, and soft drinks. For savory offerings, try loukaniko — Greek sausage made fresh by a local butcher — or pastitsio, a lasagna-like dish of noodles and meat sauce topped with béchamel sauce.
Those with a sweet tooth need to try the loukoumades, or Greek fried doughnuts, and the galaktoboureko, a milk custard dish that is a favorite among festival attendees.
“It is delicious. It’s a lot of people’s favorite because it’s nice and creamy, very rich and very sweet,” Newman said. “The baklava tend to be relatively common, whereas the galaktoboureko is a lot harder to make well, and so when it’s really good it’s … a little out of the ordinary. But of course our baklava is excellent too.”
All the food comes from authentic Greek recipes, made by the church’s Ladies Organization and other parish volunteers. It takes several multi-day workshops to prepare the 150 to 200 servings of each dish that will be for sale at the festival. They stick with traditional recipes and are sure to keep things consistent over the years, said Newman, so if you’re a returning festival-goer, your favorites will taste just as good as you remember.
“We specifically named the festival the Taste of Greece Festival because we do want to feature the food above everything else,” Newman said. On the day of the event, 50 or more volunteers will be filling plates, running cash registers, grilling kabobs, and more. “Really it’s a whole parish event,” he said.
In addition to all the food, there will be jewelry and some religious items for sale, as well as someone selling honey made on their property in Greece. There will also be face painting for the kids, tours of the church, a cash raffle, raffle baskets, and a DJ playing Greek music during the event.
The last time the church was able to hold the festival was before Covid. Now, Newman says, people are eager to get back out to local Greek festivals.
“This year it seems all the Greek festivals in the area have been experiencing considerably more people than they were expecting to begin with. After really not having the festivals for a number of years, people are coming out wanting to enjoy the atmosphere, the Greek food, and the festival feel of the day,” he said.
The festival will take place in the church parking lot, rain or shine. Parking is available on the street or in the parking lots of Waypoint or the Democratic Headquarters. Credit cards and cash will be accepted for purchases, and entry is free.
“Everyone is welcome to come and enjoy a nice fun time, good food, and good company. Everyone can be Greek that day,” Newman said.
Taste of Greece Festival
When: Saturday, Sept. 30, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church (68 N. State St. in Concord)
More info: holytrinitynh.org
Featured photo: Taste of Greece Festival at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church previous years. Courtesy photo.
