Greek Fest returns St. Nectarios church in Palatine

Posted June 15, 2017 11:00 pm

Submitted by Joy Iliopoulos, St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church

Parishioners of St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church grill Greek chicken for last year's Greek Fest picnic. Chefs are once again preparing grilled Greek chicken for the Greek Fest being held June 23-25 at the church, 133 S. Roselle Road in Palatine. Courtesy of St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church

St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church, Palatine, will present its annual Greek Fest Friday, Saturday and Sunday, June 23-25.

Greek Fest 2017 hours are: 4-11 p.m. Friday; 3 p.m.-midnight Saturday; and noon-11 p.m. Sunday. The church is at 133 S. Roselle Road, at the corner of Palatine and Roselle roads. The picnic will be held rain or shine.

Admission is $3 per person or free for children ages 12 and younger and adults 66 and older. Visa, MasterCard and debit cards will be accepted; an ATM will also be available.

Free shuttle service is available during picnic hours from Holy Family Catholic Church, 2515 Palatine Road, Inverness, and at Marion Jordan Elementary School, 100 N. Harrison Ave. in Palatine. Shuttle hours are from 4 to 11 p.m. Friday; 3 p.m. to midnight Saturday, and 3-11 p.m. Sunday.

A convenient drive-through will be available off Roselle Road for those customers not able to stay for the fun but wish to enjoy the foods. Drive-through hours are: 4-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday.

This festival is all about food. Authentic Greek foods and pastries will be available for purchase, as well as Greek wines and beer. Dishes served include pork shish-ka-bobs (souvlakia), barbecued Greek chicken, gyros, Greek sausage, pastichio (Greek lasagna) Greek salad, saganaki (flaming cheese), spinach and cheese puffs (spanakopita and tyropita), and grilled octopus.

An assortment of Greek pastries will also be available, including the Greek Fest classic loukoumades, warm, golden dough puffs drizzled with honey and sprinkled with cinnamon, and baklava, made of layers of phyllo filled with chopped nuts.

The whole family can participate in Greek dancing, games for the kids and shopping at the Greek Marketplace. Live music will feature the Palatine band Northern Lights Friday evening and Chicago's premier Greek band, The Hellenic 5, playing Saturday and Sunday. The Orpheus Dance Troupe will entertain with their authentic Greek dancing Saturday and Sunday.

Greek Fest has been a celebration of Greek hospitality and culture for more than 36 years in Palatine. Every summer, Greek Fest attracts more than 15,000 guests to experience the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of Greek culture. It is the largest single fundraising event for St. Nectarios.

For details, call (847) 358-5170 or visit stnectariosgoc.org.

Andrea Nicholson of Inverness runs an order of loukoumades to a waiting drive-through patron at the 2016 Greek Fest hosted by St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church in Palatine. Those unable to stay for the festivities can pick up food and pastries from 4-9 p.m. Friday and noon-9 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Mark Welsh/mwelsh@dailyherald.com June 2016

St. Nectarios Greek Orthodox Church will present its annual Greek Fest from 4-11 p.m. Friday, June 23; 3 p.m.-midnight Saturday, June 24; and noon-11 p.m. Sunday, June 25, at the church in Palatine. The picnic will be held rain or shine. Admission is $3 per person; children ages 12 and younger and adults 66 and older are free. Daily Herald file photo

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