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Date: 9/21/2022
EAST LONGMEADOW – The Greek Orthodox Church of St. Luke is hosting its 20th annual Taste of Greece, a one-day take-out event celebrating Greek food and culture. It will take place on Oct. 15 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at 400 Prospect St.
Specialty items include: Greek pastries, spanakopita, moussaka, gyro sandwiches, avgolemono soup and souvlaki as well as chicken and fish dinners all packaged to go. They’re also offering a chicken souvlaki, grilled pieces of chicken on a skewer marinated in olive oil, lemon juice and oregano the three major ingredients in Greek cooking.
Taste of Greece Publicity Committee Chairperson Meghan Dasco said, “This event is our church’s largest annual fundraiser. Many of our parishioners work hard all summer long to prepare our signature dishes like spanakopita and all of our baked goods. We do this because it brings our parish together in fellowship and also because our neighbors and community have come to know and expect a great event.”
She added, “We’re looking at this festival as a fundraiser to help support our church. We are working hard to make all of the foods fresh. We know that people look forward to having these specialty items that we cook from scratch. All of our neighbors know about this festival, and I know they would be disappointed if we didn’t have it for them.”
Active parishioners Joanna Strange and Stephanie Bologa are chairing the event this year with the support of the parish council and President Ron Rookey.
Parish Priest Fr. Panteleimon Klostri said the church is very excited to be welcoming the community into their doors; he loves this event, and it’s been his passion since he came to the parish 10 years ago.
Taste of Greece began 20 years ago as a three-day event. Partly to bring the community into the church’s doors and welcome them to show their culture and food. And also, for the church’s own parishioners to work in fellowship together as a group to produce a wonderful event and to give back. Because of the pandemic and social distancing, St. Luke adapted the festival from a three-day event to a one-day take-out only event.
“We’re doing the same thing again this year because COVID[-19] is still in our community,” Dasco said. “We thought it was safer since it is indoors, it would be best to keep the same theme as last year as a one-day only event.”
She continued, “You’ll park in the parking lot, come through the lobby and into our fellowship hall where you will be welcomed by a greeter that will give you information on how to go through the line and choose your menu items. Then we’ll package it all up to go for you.”
Dasco said the hope is that people will come back in the future to enjoy more of a cultural event where they can listen to live music, watch Greek dancing and have tours of the church., as well as visit a shop the church would set up called the Agora that displays a lot of Greek specialty items and heirloom type gifts
“We’re gathering the community, the neighbors and the local people that love this festival and the Greek food that we provide and we love seeing these faces year after year coming back to enjoy a good time,” Dasco added.
For more information on Taste of Greece, go to stlukego.org or call 525-4551.