People performing a Greek folk dance. Courtesy of Columbus Greek Festival
With a variety of Greek food, vendors and cultural experiences, the Columbus Greek Festival gives a Mediterranean flare to an end-of-summer celebration.
During Labor Day weekend, the Columbus Greek Festival will welcome approximately 30,000 guests who are looking to “experience a taste of Greek culture and heritage” to the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral, according to festival spokesman John Bizios.
“Everything that a visitor coming to the festival will experience has a strong ethnic tie,” Bizios said. “The guest will experience Greece and the culture of Greece without having to fly there.”
According to public relations and marketing chairperson Stacey Stathulis, the top cultural draw to the festival is the Greek food the members of Annunciation Cathedral make by hand.
“We start in June and make food all summer long,” Stathulis said. “It’s some of the best Greek food you’ll find in Columbus.”
Other activities at the festival include traditional Greek folk dances — which viewers can learn themselves after the performance — Greek folk music and guided cathedral tours. Festival attendees can also shop for traditional goods like clothing, jewelry and art, imported from Greece.
The Columbus Greek Festival has been held annually at the church since the early 1970s and will celebrate 46 years this weekend. The festival serves as an unofficial end of summer tradition that residents of central Ohio and beyond are welcome to join, according to Stathulis.
“It’s just a great chance to take part in a cultural festival in Columbus,” Stathulis said. “There are a lot of great ethnic fests in Columbus, and the Greek Fest is one of the best.”
The Columbus Greek Festival will take place Labor Day weekend and will be open 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday, noon to midnight Sunday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday. Tickets are $5 for adults and $4 for senior citizens. Children under 12, members of the military and their immediate family are free.
