Saint Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church, Greenlawn Annual Greek Fest

Saint Paraskevi Greek Orthodox Church, which was founded in 1958, will be holding its Annual Greek Fest on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 13^th, 14^th & 15^th 2019.

Dating back to the early 70’s, this is the original and first Greek Festival held on Long Island.  At the festival you will enjoy our authentic, home-cooked Greek food such as spanakopita, moussaka, gyros, chicken and pork souvlakia, lamb with orzo, Greek salad, and so much more!  All cooking for our festival is done on church grounds by parishioners using recipes handed down over several generations and made to perfection that would make even Yiayia proud.  There are plenty of areas to sit and enjoy your food including our taverna, and beer garden, while listening to a band play Greek music.  You can also enjoy the Greek dances performed by the church’s youth dance groups – they are always a hit with festival attendees! Make sure to visit one of our two bar locations for a cold beverage, or an authentic Greek beer or wine to go along with your meal.

Once you’ve completed your delicious meal you are going to have to make room for the incredible homemade desserts like our baklava, koulourakia (butter cookies), kourabiedes (sugar cookies), galaktoboureko (custard dessert), and our world famous loukoumades (Honey Puffs).

After your meal, before you get your dessert, stop by our Frappe tent, for a boost of Greek energy while you walk around our festival. Take the kids on many of the carnival rides, shop at various vendors selling jewelry, handbags, toys, and more, and make sure to stop into Yiayia’s Attic (Flea Market) to get bargains galore!

Finally, no visit to our festival would be complete without a visit to the world-renowned St. Paraskevi Grotto Shrine.  The Greenlawn church is the only church in the United States named after St. Paraskevi, the patron saint of the eyes.  This Holy Water, which flows from the fountain of the Shrine, originates from the original 3^rd century shrine located in Therapia, Turkey, which still exists today. Throughout the centuries this Holy Water has been the source of many miraculously cured eye ailments. This same water, since its arrival to this Shrine in 1969, has continued to heal countless people who have come from all over the world seeking God’s grace and healing.

This Festival serves as a main fundraiser for the church, supporting many of the church’s ministries including the:

• Homeless Ministry – provides shelter and meals during the winter months to those who are homeless, in partnership with the Huntington Interfaith Homeless Initiative
• Life Center – provides new families of limited financial resources with infant necessities (e.g. diapers, wipes, clothing)
• Midnight Run – brings food and clothing to those less fortunate in NYC by our GOYA (Greek Orthodox Youth of America) members
• Care Ministry – provides services and support to nursing home residents/those who are home bound

Hours for the festival are as follows:

Friday, 9/13:  4pm – 11pm

Saturday, 9/14:  11am – 11pm

Sunday, 9/15:  12pm – 8pm