KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Every year in Knoxville, thousands of people pack into an area near the St. George Greek Orthodox Church for a festival filled with food, dancing, music, history and plenty of fun.
The 45th annual Greek Fest will kick off on Sept. 27 and last through the weekend, wrapping up on Sept. 29 after treating Knoxville to a taste of Greek culture. During the festival, people will be able to explore the church hosting it, take part in dance lessons, learn how to cook Greek food and try some of the legendary cuisine themselves.
Traditional Greek dances start at 5 p.m. on Friday before Paraklesis, a Greek Orthodox service meant to invoke divine help. Following the service, people will be able to go on more church tours and watch a cooking show. The day will wrap up at around 8 p.m. with modern Greek dance performances.
Saturday will include plenty of traditional dancing, with dance lessons offered throughout the day for anyone who wants to develop their skills. At 6 p.m. on Saturday, the church will also host Vespers — another kind of Greek Orthodox service.
On Sunday, the day starts at 8:30 a.m. with Orthos and Divine Liturgy, another type of service hosted by the Greek Orthodox church. Throughout the day, people will be able to enjoy more dances and food.
People will also be invited to shop at the festival's Agora throughout the festival, a kind of market offering Greek wares like clothing, ceramics, jewelry, books and icons. Anyone who stops by the festival will also be able to find treats like tsoureki and baklava.
A full menu of the different food offered at the festival is available online. Greek Fest will be at 4070 Kingston Pike, and day passes cost $3. Weekend passes cost $5.
