Opa! Marietta Greek Festival celebrates 33rd year

Hayden Sumlin, Marietta Daily Journal, Ga.
·2 min read

May 20—EAST COBB — The Marietta Greek Festival wrapped up its 33rd year with another active weekend at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church on Trickum Road.

Visitors were invited to immerse themselves in Greek food, faith and culture in the three-day event.

Attendees enjoyed dance performances from a variety of age groups. The crowd favorite Saturday was the "pitsirikia" dancers, a group of 3- and 4-year-olds from the local community.

"I actually danced in the (young adults) group until last year," festival co-chair Maria Linebaugh said. "To dance together in a group ... it really does become a little village."

Festival organizers emphasized the importance of community across Greek communities in the metro Atlanta area.

Barbara and Zach Kollias, who volunteer at a food tent, have been preparing Greek food for festival attendees for a long time.

"It's a labor of love. They have been doing it this way for many, many years," Barbara Kollias said.

For Zach Kollias, the sauce is the key to the souvlaki-on-a-stick — marinated pork tenderloin seasoned with Greek herbs.

All were encouraged to attend by festival marketer Nick Gavales, who has been a friend of the festival since his parents helped found the church.

"The festival has served as a vehicle for raising funds," Gavales said. "I started as an eighth-grader, selling baked goods outside of the Cobb Civic Center in the late '80s."

A significant portion of that fundraising allowed Holy Transfiguration to build its Byzantine-style church in 2003. Guided church tours were available throughout each day of the festival. According to one attendee, the tour of the sanctuary was their favorite activity.

Tour

Haralambos Mauromatidis leads a guided tour of the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday as part of the Marietta Greek Festival.

Hayden Sumlin

The festival also included cooking demonstrations from Maria Caras inside the community center, and Greek artwork was available for purchase.

Music throughout the weekend was performed by George Karras' band, which played a blend of Western and Eastern musical traditions all weekend long.

Katie Jacobs, a festival volunteer from Woodstock, has been attending the festival since 1998.

"My favorite part of the church is community, family and the food," Jacobs said.

For more information, go to www.marriettagreekfestival.com