Saints Catherine and George Greek Orthodox Church in Astoria will host its first-ever Greek festival this weekend. Photo: Shane O’Brien
Sept. 24, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
Saints Catherine and George Greek Orthodox Church of Astoria will host its first annual Greek festival this weekend, celebrating the neighborhood’s close cultural ties to Greece.
The festival will take place at the Greek Orthodox church at 22-30 33rd St. from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 27, from noon until 11 p.m. on Sept. 28 and from 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Sept. 29 and features Greek music and dancing, a selection of traditional Greek food available for purchase and family-friendly rides and attractions.
For decades, the Hellenic Orthodox Community of Astoria has held an annual festival at St. Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church on 30th Drive every May but is now launching an annual festival at Saints Catherine and George, which it intends to hold every fall.
Stavros Livanos, an event coordinator for the upcoming festival, said the event will feature a variety of kids’ rides, including a dinosaur-themed ride, a pirate ship, and a kids’ funhouse. There will also be a wide selection of traditional Greek delicacies, including souvlaki, moussaka, gyros, Greek pies, and loukoumades, a traditional Greek sweet made using fried dough covered in a layer of honey.
Students from the Saint Demetrius Greek-American school will also perform traditional Greek dances throughout the festival, Livanos said.
Entry to the festival is free, with guests entitled to choose how much they want to spend on rides and food.
Livanos said Astoria has long been the center of Hellenism in New York City, adding that it has attracted Greek immigrants to live, work, or buy property for decades. He said it was important to celebrate Astoria’s Greek heritage due to the neighborhood’s close ties to Greece, with many Greek restaurants, clubs and businesses lining the streets of Astoria.
“Between our school and two churches, our community has been a home to thousands of Greeks who immigrated to New York seeking a better life while holding onto their Greek and Orthodox Christian values,” Livarnos said.
“This remains the case today as young adults from Greece continue to immigrate to New York and choose to live in Astoria. Outside of Greece, this community is as close as you’ll get to experiencing what it’s like to live in Greece. This is also why the Greek language is heard on a daily basis when walking through the streets of Astoria.”
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