St. Philothea Greek Orthodox Church held its 12th annual Greek festival last weekend, and as intended, crowds came out to the church to enjoy a glimpse of Greek culture. 

 “It’s great,” said Barbara Knisely, who co-chaired the event with Nina Harrington.  “Even with the rain and the football game yesterday, we had a lot of support.” 

The festival truly was a community undertaking.

All of the food and pastries were made by members of the congregation, who donated their time and cooking skills for more than three months prior to the festival.

The food selection included more common Greek foods such as gyros and souvlaki (Greek shishkabob), but the biggest sellers were the lamb dish, Spanakopita (Spinach pie), and Greek salad. By Sunday afternoon, dolmades (rice in grape leaves) were selling out, as well.

“We love the Greek festival,” said Linda Boza, who attended with her husband, Jose, and their children. “We love the food ... and the desserts. I think we tried all of them.”

While the food might be what brought the Boza family to the festival, what kept them sitting at their table long after they’d finished eating was the dancing performance by the church’s Hellenic Spirit Dancers. 

The group of dancers – most of whom are in their 20s – dressed in traditional costumes, each specific to a region of Greece. Some are members of the church, and others have left the area, but return each year to help with the festival.

“It’s nice that it’s people from the community as well as students who do it,” said Ada Hatzios, who graduated from UGA three years ago, but returns to dance with the group.

The dancers rehearse their performance for about a month prior to the festival, which includes two line dances, Ikariotiko and Hasapiko, as well as two dances performed with partners, Karsilamas and Karagouna.

Takis Iakovou, who Hatzios calls the “ringleader” of the dance group, also danced with his daughter, Angie Shih. Dancing on a table, which he later carried with his teeth, Iakovou was a crowd-charmer, and his performance is perhaps one of the most memorable parts of the festival. 

When asked where he learned to dance like he does, he responded in his native tongue: “At home, in Greece.” 

During the Spirit Dancers’ performance, the crowd got excited – a good thing, since the dancers invited everyone to the dance floor to learn some of the dances they’d performed. 

Throughout the weekend, Father Anthony Salzman offered lectures on Orthodoxy in the chapel, and venders sold Greek items in the entrance to the church. Visitors to the festival could purchase Greek items, ranging from olives to jewelry to t-shirts reading “Koula” (“Doll”). Orthodox icons were also for sale. 

The crew manning the kitchen during the festival was comprised of volunteers from Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Marietta and the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Atlanta.

This weekend, when the Cathedral hosts its own festival, members of St. Philothea will go to Atlanta to return the favor and join their festival crew.

“We couldn’t have done it without them,” said Knisely. 

The festival ended on Sunday with a raffle for three prizes. First prize was two plane tickets to Greece or $1,500 in cash; second prize was a television set; and third prize was $500 in cash.

Anna Dolianitis is a reporter for The Oconee Leader. She can be reached at 706-310-1104 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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