Sep 19, 2022 -

Fresno Greek Fest celebrates 60th anniversary after 2 years of postponing in-person event.

Written by: Sydney Morgan

OPA!

St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Fresno put together its 60th annual Greek Fest for the community to enjoy.

This was the front cover of the pamphlets given out to guests and members. Inside was a menu with food prices, daily schedule of events, and list of community sponsors.

This event lasted three days: Friday from 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

One of many shaded areas for people to visit while they eat.

Kids under 12 and those who served in the military were offered free tickets, while adult tickets were $7. Seniors got in for $5.

$1 from each ticket sold was donated to Fresno’s Poverello House, which provides shelter for the homeless along with employment opportunities.

This year they added a sports bar area with three colored TVs so people could watch the Fresno State – USC football game Saturday night.

It’s said that the first Greeks came to Fresno at the turn of the 20th century, most of whom were ‘young men with aspirations.’

Soon after, wives and soon-to-be wives started arriving from Greece.

On May 9, 1923, the leaders of the settlement, which consisted of 45 members, held their first meeting. 

On October 27, 1924, the church was completed giving the Greek community a holy meeting place named for their Patron Saint, Saint George.

By the 1950s the congregation outgrew its church so, in 1953, the community bought five acres of land on North Orchard in East Fresno where the church remains today.

The church is the centerpiece of the community and is open for tours during the festival.

The church has a brightly painted ceiling and walls that tell biblical stories. Stained glass windows showcase figures from the Septuagint, the Greek Bible.

Glass Stained Window
Depiction of figure holding a sign saying “God is Love” which is an idea from the New Testament.
The ceiling of the Church showcasing designs and portraits of biblical figures.
Seen at the very front of the church, tells a story from their bible.
This sign was put at the front. This idea of the Holy Trinity is believed in many different religions.
These are the pews that church members sit in during services.

“It is not uncommon for over 25,000 of our friends from throughout the San Joaquin Valley to gather together to celebrate our cherished heritage,” said Chris E. Rockas in a press release on Greek history in Fresno.

The Greek Fest is usually celebrated the last weekend of August, but after COVID-19, plans changed.

This year, after two years of not having the event, the Greek Community, which is now composed of Lebanese, Egyptians, Syrians, Italians, Eritreans, Indians, Romanians, Hungarians, Ukrainians, East Asians, Russians, Armenians, Spanish, Serbians, Hispanics and of course Greek, came together to celebrate the festivities.

If guests weren’t full enough after the food, they also had desserts like Moussaka, Pastichio, Spanakopita, Tiropita, Greek Coffee, and numerous Greek Pastries available for purchase.

This was my dinner at the event: I chose Greek rice, pita bread, a lamb Gyro, and Greek salad.

The church served food like lamb Gyros, lamb and chicken Souvlaki, vegetarian plates, Greek fries, Greek rice, Greek salad, Feta cheese, dolmades and fried calamari along with a few other choices.

Interesting fact: Fresno Greek Fest is the only festival, south of the Mississippi that cooks 98% of their own food from scratch.

For entertainment, the church invited numerous groups of Greek dancers to the fest along with live bands.

For kids, they had inflatable jump houses and activities such as rock climbing and competitive games.

Don’t worry if you missed this year’s community Greek Festival as it is an annual event, and they will be hosting it again next year.

For more information on the church, or if you want to make sure you don’t miss any of their other events, visit their website, or follow them on social media.

If interested in attending one of their services, call the church at (559) 233-0397, or email them at sggoc@comcast.net.

Copyright 2022