The Greek Festival has long been declared a fall tradition in the city of Tallahassee. On Oct. 21 and 22, hundreds of people joined together to celebrate Greek culture and history. At the festival, you can expect to find some of the finest Greek cuisine, ancient toys and games, live music, dancing and other fun events. Most importantly, you can find a great sense of unity, making you just want to be a part of their heritage, even if it is just for one day.
The festival ran from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m on Friday and Saturday and has been held for more than 30 years in the city of Tallahassee by the Holy Mother of God Greek Food Festival. As a result, the church also offers tours of their church in order to be able to share their faith with the community.
Aside from tours, the festival offers great music and dancing. Typically, the festival has a live band playing the entire time, allowing visitors to show off their Greek dance steps. As it turns out, each Greek island has their own unique dance that is particular to their culture, thus people like to dance along to the music and share the history behind their moves. The creators of the event highly encourage visitors to dance, even if they aren’t familiar with the steps.
The main attraction of this event would have to be their food. The Greek Food Festival definitely has an extensive menu that would seem unfamiliar to the typical Tallahassee resident. At the festival, they have everything ranging from beverages to Greek fries, pastries, and dinner specialties. If you find yourself staring at the menu and feeling overwhelmed with yummy goodness, here are five foods you must try:
The Greek Fries: Can you ever go wrong with any food containing the word fries in it? It is guaranteed to make your taste buds holler. However, these are no any ordinary fries…they are cooked with soybean oil to add a unique flavor, lemon juice, oregano and parsley. They also have a distinct yet desirable texture.
Spanakopita: Vegetarian or not, this is the treat for you. Imagine a delicious pie stuffed with spinach, feta cheese and all kinds of different herbs. Enough said.
Dolmades: These are unlike anything you have ever seen before, but please do not be discouraged! Dolmades have tasty ground beef and rice stuffed inside a grape leaf. If you like trying new things, this is the food for you.
Baklava: These are little pastries brought to you by heaven. They are a sweet, little pastry filled with nuts and honey. You have not tried Greek food until you have tried the Baklava. 10/10, would recommend.
Moussaka: The Moussaka was a popular food at the festival. It resembles a lasagna or shepherd’s pie in appearance, however it is made with eggplant. It contains a layer of ground beef, and eggplant or “melitzanes” (as the Greeks call it). It is topped with a creamy béchamel sauce and Greek spices.