New Orleans Greek Festival
turns 40

Opa! Lakeview will be ablaze with blue and white this weekend  as New Orleans’ Greek Festival turns 40.

The celebration, beginning on Friday and running through Sunday of this weekend , will give festival- goers its annual shot of great Greek cuisine, fun, music, dance and culture.

The festival takes place at Holy Trinity Cathedral and Hellenic Cultural Center (1200 Robert E. Lee Boulevard). Greek and Mediterranean food is showcased and sold; special cooking demonstrations of the cuisine are held; and the festival also includes its annual Greek Festival Run/Walk Race. Visitors can tour Holy Trinity Cathedral and can hear live music from the Alpha Omega band and watch the Hellenic Cultural Center dancers. The best part: wear a toga on Sunday and you get into the fest for free!

Holy Trinity Cathedral, on the banks of Bayou St. John in Lakeview, is the beautiful setting for the New Orleans Greek Festival.

Since eating will surely be high on the to-do list, the food focus this year is on live demos on how to prepare traditional Greek foods such as Greek Caponata and Mediterranean Tapenade, with  free demonstrations at 1 p.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. on May 25. Demonstrations will be held in the hall next to the popular Gourmet Greek Grocery on-site. (don’t forget to buy your feta!).

The Greek Festival Run/Walk Race will be held Friday, May 24 at the corner of Robert E. Lee Blvd. and Wisner Blvd. and will begin with registration at 6 p.m., the one mile starting at 7 p.m. with the 5K starting at 7:20 p.m.

One of the more interesting facts about Holy Trinity Cathedral is that it is actually the very first Greek Orthodox Church in the Americas (established in 1864). Take in a little history of the Greek community in New Orleans and the cathedral with a tour of the facility. The Hellenic College Holy Cross seminarian chanters will assist in the tours and will also chant hymns i in Greek and English. All tours will feature a display of religious artifacts and celebrate the 150^th anniversary of the church.

For kids, an “Athenian playground” will be set up next to the Bayou and give the rug-rats a chance to climb the “Mount Olympus” rock wall, 400-square-feet of climbing rock standing at twenty-four- feet tall. Face-painting and kids’ crafts as well as canoe rentals and inflatable castles will be available as well as this family-friendly event.

Alpha Omega  performs live authentic Greek music and dance lessons for the “Zorba” and other traditional Greek dances on the Bayou will be highlights for sure. The official 2013 Greek Festival  poster was designed by local artist James Michalopoulos (do ya think he’s Greek?), festival t-shirts, and other authentic Greek books,  art and merchandise.

Admission to the festival is $5 daily and children under 12 get in free. More information about the festival, including directions and a volunteer form are here.