This weekend, Georgia will spotlight Greek culture at the Marietta Greek Festival.
For three days, May 16-18, the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church in Marietta will showcase authentic Greek dishes, hold performances featuring dances from different regions of Greece, offer church tours, and host over a dozen shopping vendors, according to the festival website.
Joanna Tiller, the head of marketing for the festival, gave more insight on what the event entails for those who are, or aren’t, familiar with Greek culture.
“There’s plenty to do. You can come for 30 minutes and grab lunch, or come for six hours and watch [Greek] dancing,” Tiller said. “The late night dancing’s really special. We have a ring of fire.”
Tickets are $5 per person plus fees, and can be purchased online. Tiller said there will be free parking and shuttles the entire weekend.
Tiller also touched upon the personal values of Greek culture and how those impact the festival, particularly its food.
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“With traditional Greek dishes, food means everything,” Tiller said. “Usually you’re having a delicious meal surrounded by family and friends. Our food is made with love … our recipes are passed down from the families of the church.”
These recipes include lamb or grilled chicken rice bowls, chicken-in-a-pita and smoked lamb sandwiches, koulourakia (which are traditional Greek butter cookies), and so much more.
Like the food of so many other cultures, Greek cuisine has been praised not only for its ability to bring people together at the dinner table, but also for its flavor. Greek cookbook author and celebrity chef Diane Kochilas talked about the cuisine’s importance in her 2018 book, “My Greek Table.”
“The beauty of Greek cuisine is that it combines innate nutrition with vibrant flavors,” Kochilas said. “It is a cuisine of indulgence, not abstention.”
Nutrition and indulgence are spread right across the Marietta Greek Festival’s menu. For Food & Wine magazine in 2023, Stacey Leasca explained the savory background of spanakopita – or “spinach pie” – in an article called “7 Essential Greek Dishes Everyone Needs to Try.”
“Greeks have been making the dish for centuries, layering phyllo dough with butter or olive oil and intermittently filling the layers with a mixture of spinach, scallions, feta cheese, and eggs before browning it all in the oven.,” Leasca said.
Other Greek classics on the festival’s menu include Greek fries (hand-cut fries with Greek seasoning) and keftedes (Greek-style meatballs covered in tomato sauce).
This event will feature meals made with love, according to Tiller. Not only will the food give those – Greek or not – a taste of Greek culture, but those of Greek heritage, especially students in Atlanta who miss their homeland, can have a little taste of home.
“All international students, and non-international students, would love to stop by.” Tiller said. “I’m sure they would love to stop by and get a piece of home.”