It is without question one of the most popular food festivals in Savannah every single year. The Savannah Greek Festival at the Hellenic Center at 14 West Anderson will entertain and feed upwards of 10,000 people over three days this week. Beginning Thursday at 11am. You’ve probably attended in the past. But did you know…
*This is the 69th year for the festival. 1951 the building was built. There’s been a food festival for as long as anyone can remember. But this is number 69.
*A very small portion of the items sold to eat are made elsewhere and brought to the festival. The majority, however, is still made in house. Actual cooking begins late Spring/early Summer every year. This year it started in May.
*This year’s effort has been a little tricky. The electricity in the building is getting an overhaul. That has required a lot of coordination so that production of food would not be interrupted over the Summer.
*The most popular dishes including Pastitsio, Dolmades and Spanakopita are prepared by sub-committees who are in charge of doing only that. For months. Committee members are largely volunteers. Some of which have a particular way of making things. Which can lead to ‘friendly banter’ on the best way to prepare a Greek classic. Oh to be a fly on that wall.
*Speaking of volunteers, there are somewhere around 100. Those numbers over time have been shrinking. Nearly every parishioner of St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church is asked to assist in some way.
*The kitchen crew on festival weekend, hovers around 30 or so. They are usually the same group year to year.
*By the numbers. In 2019 they’ve prepared over 11,000 Dolmades. All by hand right here in Savannah. Up from 10,400 last year. There are 146 pans of Pastitsio this year. 179 pans of Spanakopita. In the days leading up to festival weekend, a walk-in freezer and a separate side freezer are both at capacity.
*If you’d like to order your food on-line, you can do so beginning Wednesday. Click here to the link. Pick up however, begins Thursday.
*Admission is free. There is however, a suggested $2 donation. Military and first responders are free. The donation is requested 4pm-9pm on Thursday and Friday and all day on Saturday.
*Once you add in beer and wine sales and the festival is clearly a huge money maker. That said, every year at Christmas, once all expenses are paid and the books are settled, thousands of dollars are distributed to close to 20 area charities over the holidays. Those charities may vary year to year and there is never a finite number. It all depends on how much they have to spare.
*If you’ve never attended, you will wait at peak times. Lines at times will go out the door and down the block. The event is family friendly. There is music all day and a wonderful way to spend part of your weekend. (For the record, that was number 11). So there.
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