Togas on display at the Greek Fest in New Orleans on Sunday, May 29, 2016. (Photo by Chris Granger, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)
Helen Malachias makes baklava at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Orleans, Saturday, May 21, 2022. Boxes of pastries including baklava will be available for purchase during the Greek Festival Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Baklava fresh from the oven soaks up a honey syrup at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Orleans, Saturday, May 21, 2022. Boxes of pastries including baklava will be available for purchase during the Greek Festival Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Sandy Bouzon counts boxes before they are filled with pastries made at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Orleans, Saturday, May 21, 2022. Boxes of pastries including baklava will be available for purchase during the Greek Festival Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Sandy Bouzon, Helen Malachias and her son visiting from Athens, Greece, Chef Ilya Malachias, pour a honey syrup over fresh baklava at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Orleans, Saturday, May 21, 2022. Boxes of pastries including baklava will be available for purchase during the Greek Festival Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A taste of Greek Fest: lamb shank, moussaka and feta salad all packaged to go from the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church community, which normally produces Greek Festival each spring.
A taste of Greek Fest: lamb shank, moussaka and feta salad all packaged to go from the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church community, which normally produces Greek Festival each spring.
Photo by Ian McNulty -- The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral is located at 1200 Robert E. Lee Blvd.in New Orleans.
Advocate staff photo by Ian McNulty -- Traditional dishes like gryo sandwiches are part of the draw at the New Orleans Greek Festival.
Photo by Ian McNulty - The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans.
Photo by Ian McNulty -- The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans
Festgoers hit the shopping area during the 46th annual New Orleans Greek Festival Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans. The four-day festival, which continues Sunday noon to 4 p.m., featured performances by the Hellenic Dancers, live music, traditional Greek food, arts and crafts, activities for children, canoe rides, cooking demonstrations and tours of the cathedral. Those wearing togas on Sunday will be admitted free.
The Hellenic Dancers perform during the 46th annual New Orleans Greek Festival Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans. The four-day festival, which continues Sunday noon to 4 p.m., featured performances by the Hellenic Dancers, live music, traditional Greek food, arts and crafts, activities for children, canoe rides, cooking demonstrations and tours of the cathedral. Those wearing togas on Sunday will be admitted free.
The Hellenic Dancers perform during the 46th annual New Orleans Greek Festival Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans. The four-day festival, which continues Sunday noon to 4 p.m., featured performances by the Hellenic Dancers, live music, traditional Greek food, arts and crafts, activities for children, canoe rides, cooking demonstrations and tours of the cathedral. Those wearing togas on Sunday will be admitted free.
The Hellenic Dancers perform during the 46th annual New Orleans Greek Festival Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans. The four-day festival, which continues Sunday noon to 4 p.m., featured performances by the Hellenic Dancers, live music, traditional Greek food, arts and crafts, activities for children, canoe rides, cooking demonstrations and tours of the cathedral. Those wearing togas on Sunday will be admitted free.
Kostas Kastanis performs during the 41st annual Greek Festival at the Hellenic Cultural Center on Saturday, May 24, 2014. (Michael DeMocker, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)
Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan dances along with Panayoti Karagiannis to the music of Kostas Kastanis during the 41st annual Greek Festival at the Hellenic Cultural Center on Saturday, May 24, 2014. (Michael DeMocker, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)
Togas on display at the Greek Fest in New Orleans on Sunday, May 29, 2016. (Photo by Chris Granger, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)
Helen Malachias makes baklava at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Orleans, Saturday, May 21, 2022. Boxes of pastries including baklava will be available for purchase during the Greek Festival Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Baklava fresh from the oven soaks up a honey syrup at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Orleans, Saturday, May 21, 2022. Boxes of pastries including baklava will be available for purchase during the Greek Festival Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
Sandy Bouzon, Helen Malachias and her son visiting from Athens, Greece, Chef Ilya Malachias, pour a honey syrup over fresh baklava at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Orleans, Saturday, May 21, 2022. Boxes of pastries including baklava will be available for purchase during the Greek Festival Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
A taste of Greek Fest: lamb shank, moussaka and feta salad all packaged to go from the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church community, which normally produces Greek Festival each spring.
A taste of Greek Fest: lamb shank, moussaka and feta salad all packaged to go from the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church community, which normally produces Greek Festival each spring.
Photo by Ian McNulty -- The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral is located at 1200 Robert E. Lee Blvd.in New Orleans.
Advocate staff photo by Ian McNulty -- Traditional dishes like gryo sandwiches are part of the draw at the New Orleans Greek Festival.
Photo by Ian McNulty - The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans.
Festgoers hit the shopping area during the 46th annual New Orleans Greek Festival Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans. The four-day festival, which continues Sunday noon to 4 p.m., featured performances by the Hellenic Dancers, live music, traditional Greek food, arts and crafts, activities for children, canoe rides, cooking demonstrations and tours of the cathedral. Those wearing togas on Sunday will be admitted free.
The Hellenic Dancers perform during the 46th annual New Orleans Greek Festival Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans. The four-day festival, which continues Sunday noon to 4 p.m., featured performances by the Hellenic Dancers, live music, traditional Greek food, arts and crafts, activities for children, canoe rides, cooking demonstrations and tours of the cathedral. Those wearing togas on Sunday will be admitted free.
The Hellenic Dancers perform during the 46th annual New Orleans Greek Festival Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans. The four-day festival, which continues Sunday noon to 4 p.m., featured performances by the Hellenic Dancers, live music, traditional Greek food, arts and crafts, activities for children, canoe rides, cooking demonstrations and tours of the cathedral. Those wearing togas on Sunday will be admitted free.
Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan dances along with Panayoti Karagiannis to the music of Kostas Kastanis during the 41st annual Greek Festival at the Hellenic Cultural Center on Saturday, May 24, 2014. (Michael DeMocker, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)
It was less than a week before the gates opened at the New Orleans Greek Festival, and the grounds were abuzz as tents slowly appeared along Bayou St. John near the lake. The breeze was warm and smelled like cinnamon because inside, while Greek Orthodox chants flowed through the cathedral halls, there were volunteers busy baking thousands of triangles of baklava.
For nearly five decades, this has been the scene at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral on the weekend before Memorial Day as volunteers hurry to prepare ahead of the festival's opening. But like all other New Orleans festivals, Greek Fest was forced into hiatus for the past two years because of the coronavirus pandemic, which makes the event one of many enjoying a happy return this year.
WHEN: 5-10 p.m. Friday
WHERE: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral
Free, handicap-accessible shuttles from the former John F. Kennedy School location on Wisner Boulevard
"This is our largest fundraiser, so it's been very missed," said Gail Psilos, who co-chairs the festival this year with Vivian Demarinis-Haik. "As a community, we come together beginning in January of each year of the festival. We cook our own foods, bake our own pastries. It's cultural, it's gathering, it's social. ... We've missed that. I think the entire city has missed getting together."
The Hellenic Dancers perform during the 46th annual New Orleans Greek Festival Saturday, May 25, 2019, at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans. The four-day festival, which continues Sunday noon to 4 p.m., featured performances by the Hellenic Dancers, live music, traditional Greek food, arts and crafts, activities for children, canoe rides, cooking demonstrations and tours of the cathedral. Those wearing togas on Sunday will be admitted free.
The festival's 2022 theme, "Year of Tradition," honors and celebrates that return. With it comes all the community favorites: Hellenic dancing, music, a Greek grocery and tours of the cathedral, giving visitors a chance to admire the gold and ocean-blue interior.
There's also a 5K run, kids' activities and lots and lots of food. The menu includes Greek salad, souvlaki, gyro, dinner plates and more than 15 types of pastries. The pastry options alone require months of kitchen preparation, but for the volunteers who make it happen, returning was an easy choice.
"It's part of our DNA," said Sandy Bouzon, who has co-chaired the pastry booth since the festival's inception 47 years ago.
Sandy Bouzon counts boxes before they are filled with pastries made at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in New Orleans, Saturday, May 21, 2022. Boxes of pastries including baklava will be available for purchase during the Greek Festival Memorial Day weekend. (Photo by Sophia Germer, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate)
While Bouzon calculates the amount of nuts that go into making all those pastries — at least 360 pounds, by her count — Psilos works busily nearby peeling aluminum foil from trays and trays of baklava. The trays, stacked on rolling racks two deep and 20 high, have been coming together for months, lying in wait in one of three walk-in freezers on the property. The baklava must come to room temperature before baking.
In total, about 300 volunteers make the festival possible.
"It takes a village to really prepare for the festival," Psilos said, and many volunteers have returned year after year for decades.
One of them, Ilya Malachias, flies in from New York to make sure he can be here to volunteer.
"These are my best friends," said Malachias, whose mother, Helen, co-chairs the pastry booth with Bouzon. In his youth, he was one of the Hellenic dancers, but as an adult, he works as a private chef, so his transition to the Greek Fest kitchen was a natural one. "Because I grew up here, so many of my best friends from childhood are here."
Photo by Ian McNulty -- The Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral in New Orleans
It's a reunion, he said, with many members of the community gravitating to the festival for the weekend.
They'll find little has changed, save for a few beverage options. This year's drink lineup replaces Abita with Urban South's Paradise Park, and the choices have grown to include a Greek beer and Greek wine flights. The continuity elsewhere, however, is exactly the point, especially after a couple years of so much change and unexpected pivots.
"We are a New Orleans tradition," said Psilos, who added that organizers typically expect about 21,000 people to attend every year. "I'm just looking forward to seeing all the people out there having a wonderful time enjoying themselves, eating, drinking and bringing their families to have a wonderful weekend celebrating our Greek traditions and New Orleans traditions."
Kostas Kastanis performs during the 41st annual Greek Festival at the Hellenic Cultural Center on Saturday, May 24, 2014. (Michael DeMocker, Nola.com / The Times-Picayune)
Greek dining isn’t the only draw at the festival. Other attractions include:
Live Greek music by Kosta and his Bouzouki and space for Greek dancing outdoors.
The Agora marketplace offering Greek paintings, souvenirs, clothing and jewelry.
The Greek grocery, with cheeses, spices, breads, halva and olives, among other items.
The Holy Trinity Museum store, with prints of icons and devotional items.
Children's area with hot dogs for young "picky eaters," plus face painting.
Tours of the cathedral, with the opportunity to learn about the faith and the community's history, and to hear Orthodox chanting.
"Little Museum of the Little Greek Church": A special exhibition space housing historical and religious artifacts preserved by the local Orthodox community since its founding in 1864, with a collection of more than 50 icons.
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