After three years, excitement was buzzing around the return of the 2023 Roanoke Greek Festival held at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church!
Before its return, the festival earned Virginia Living Magazine’s Best Food Festival Award five times – three of which were in a row, from 2017 to 2019. Their delicious meals and mouth-watering pastries are no exception to the title of Virginia’s best festival food this year either.
“We’ve been coming since 2014. I [always] get one of everything; all the food is great. The casseroles, moussaka, grape leaves, desserts – you’ve got to try one of each!” Stacy Webb (Hidden Valley parent).
The Greek Festival had three sources of food: the buffet, stands, and drive thru. The food stands featured gyro (YEE-row) wraps – grilled pita with seasoned lamb and beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions topped with tzatziki, a yogurt cucumber sauce, souvlaki (sue-VLAH-kee) wraps – grilled pita with chicken or pork tenderloin, peppers, and onions topped with tzatziki, and Greek fries seasoned with a variety of Greek spices.
“I had a gyro, and it was delicious. I love feta cheese and tzatziki and how they incorporated them into their food.” Erin Sowder (Hidden Valley parent).
The buffet and drive thru featured an array of Greek meals, such as skewered souvlaki and gyros; pastichio (pa-STEE-cho), layers of ground beef and pasta topped with bechamel cream sauce; moussaka (moo-sa-KA), layered eggplant and ground beef topped with bechamel cream sauce; spanakopita (spa-na-KO-pee-ta), creamy spinach and cheese filling wrapped in buttered phyllo dough; and a personal favorite, dolmades (dol-MA-thes), grape leaves stuffed with seasoned rice and covered in olive oil lemon-based sauce.
The assorted pastries are another flavorful choice that includes baklava, kataifi (ka-ta-EE-fee), kourambie, ergolavi, melomakarono (melo-ma-KA-ro-no), and koulourakia (kou-lou-RA-kia). All of the pastries contain nuts, honey, and dough to create a sweet tooth’s heaven! The beverages remained simple but well-loved with choices of lemonade or Greek coffee, wine, and beer.
On the surface, some who visit the festival see it as just food. But in Greek culture, food is so much more than basic nutrients – it’s about culture, comfort, family, and life itself. So next year, bring your family and friends to enjoy some gourmet food that was crafted from the heart.