NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — If you are craving European culture, you don’t have to travel far to get it because this weekend. The New Orleans Greek Festival will be bringing the flavors and fun of Greece to our backyard.
Parishioners and volunteers of Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral are busy prepping for the 49th annual New Orleans Greek Festival along Bayou St. John and the Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral grounds.
Cathy Vial’s been baking pastries for Greek Fest for decades.
“Can you see my apron? It says 2006. This means so much to our community. It keeps us going. I love cooking, and being part of baking pastries because it is really nice for me. I love doing this,” said Vial.
And we love eating all these traditional pastries, which they make around 60,000 pieces.
This year, they are baking up some new flavors.
“This year, our theme is lemon zest for life. So, we are incorporating lemon into some of our pastries,” said New Orleans Greek Festival Committee Member Alexandra Megilligan.
“As for savory, we have gyro, slavaki and we brought back our goat burger, which was very much requested,” she said.
Megilligan wants everyone to get a taste of real Greek culture.
“It is important to us because our culture is near and dear to our hearts. It is quite emotional to see that we all come together for a common reason, just letting people come and have fun and experience Greece on the Bayou,” said Megilligan.
It is no easy feat to prepare for the New Orleans Greek Festival.
“We spend around 11 months planning it,” she said.
The New Orleans Greek Festival runs Friday, May 24, through Sunday, May 26. The festival will go on Friday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
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