St. Sophia brings out the feast for Greek Fest

Submitted by St. Sophia Church

St. Sophia Greek Orthodox Church, 525 Church Road in Elgin, invites you to its 35th annual Greek Fest on Friday, July 12, to Sunday, July 14.

The fest will be open for lunch Friday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. You can fax or email in lunch orders over $50 for pickup in “Greek Food 2 Go.” To put in a lunch order, email greekfood2go@aol.com or fax to (847) 888-2986, before noon Thursday, July 11.

The fest will open again from 5 to 11 p.m. for dinner. On Saturday and Sunday, the fest will open at noon and close at 11 p.m. Saturday and 10 p.m. Sunday. Traditionally, the fest attracts more than 12,000 people annually. It is open to the public and admission is $2.

In addition to authentic Greek cuisine dinner dishes such as gyros, Grecian chicken, souvlakia (shish-ka-bob), moussaka and pastitsio, they also will serve saganaki (flaming cheese), Greek fries, fried calamari and Greek salad.

For a sample of a few traditional dishes, one should try the appetizer plate as well. For those who prefer American fare, hamburgers (as well as “Greek” hamburgers) and hot dogs will also be available. And don’t forget about the festival’s drive-through, which will be open the same hours as the festival.

After dinner, unwind at the Greek “kafenio,” where many traditional Greek sweets, such as baklava and loukoumathes, can be found. Enjoy a cup of Greek or American coffee, or turn that baklava into an ice cream sundae.

Let the kids enjoy the games and inflatable rides, as well as the Euro-Bungee. Rides are not open during the Friday lunch. Unlimited rides from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday or Sunday are $15.

As you enjoy the music and entertainment from the “Sounds of Greece” DJ who will be playing music Friday and Saturday evenings, adults ages 21 and older can enjoy the full bar.

The band Hellas 2000 will be providing traditional and modern Greek music during the evening on Sunday. St. Sophia’s Agape Dance Troupe also will be performing traditional Greek dances in full costume all weekend.

Special features include the “Marketplace” indoors, where you can shop for crafts, jewelry, books, icons, purses, and other treasures. Don’t forget to also buy your raffle ticket for $100 for the grand raffle, where you can win up to $10,000.

For details, call (847) 888-2822, ext. 203, or visit www.st-sophia.com/greekfest/.