Festival workers and church members include, from left, Maria and Vaso Koroneos, Dickson City; Evie Witko, Poconos; Angie Maleakas, Scranton; the Rev. Father Konstantine Eleftherakis; Harriet Scantzos, Clarks Summit; Elene Vaitsopoulos, Dickson City; Kelli Dietz, Scranton; and Amiee Toska, Scranton.
If you go
2010 Greek Food Festival, Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, 505 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, Tuesday to Saturday, Sept. 21 to 25, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. Take-out orders available. Fax orders to (570) 342-9722 or call (570) 342-0566.
SCRANTON - Starting Tuesday, one of the city’s most enjoyed ethnic food festivals will return after being delayed from its normal summer session.
The Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church will conduct the 2010 Greek Food Festival at 505 N. Washington Ave., Scranton, from September 21 to 25 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Along with a new date for the festival comes new leadership in the local orthodox community. The Rev. Father Konstantine Eleftherakis became the new parish priest on July 1. Eleftherakis previously served in Myrtle Beach, S.C., and said the new assignment brings him closer to home, citing roots in Upper Darby, Penn.
He and Presbytera Maria, his wife, and their children Maximos, 8; Serafima, 6; Theodosios, 3 and Ioannis, 3 months, hope to move into Scranton soon. They currently reside in Weatherly.
The festival is in higher-than-normal demand after being postponed from its normal June date. “Partly there was a transition period there where a new priest was coming and they wanted to wait (to hold the festival),” he said.
Having served in larger parishes across the country, Eleftherakis was surprised at the amount of work conducted by such a small group of volunteers.
“What the people here accomplish with so few numbers is really amazing to me,” he said. “The parish really only has 100 families. They believe and I believe that it’s through the hands of God that they’re able to achieve such an accomplishment.”
Currently, the festival is the sole fundraiser for the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church, but Eleftherakis hopes to add new events to the church calendar. Some of those changes will be felt this week as church tours will be available for the first time in the festival’s history.
Inside the kitchen, workers like Clarks Summit resident Harriet Scantzos put in countless hours to make the event a success each year.
“You don’t want to know how much time. We keep it a secret from our husbands,” Elene Vaitsopoulous, of Dickson City, said with a laugh.
Scantzos, who has worked for the church fundraiser for 43 years, said favorites of festival-goers include the eggplant, potato and ground beef dish mousaka, lamb shanks and tyropita, or cheese pie.
“They love the authentic Greek food. It’s like we would cook it in our own houses,” Scantzos said.
Those who prepare hundreds of pounds of food each day use only the appearance and taste of the food to get recipes right without exact measurements. “It has to have the right amount of salt. Otherwise, it’s too bland,” Scantzos said of some dishes.
“If you bless it, everything is okay,” Vaitsopoulous added.
During the festival, Greek music is played and the workers often sing or dance, adding to the authentic, ethnic atmosphere.
Despite her time with the festival, Scantzos echoed Eleftherakis’ surprise about the amount of work completed.
“We see the product after, and we just can’t imagine that these few ladies did it. We all say it’s not just our doing. It’s God’s doing, too.”
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