The Williamsburg Greek Festival is the best Greek Festival I have attended. Spanning 3 days…read more(Fri-Sun), I arrived about 11am Saturday, and was awestruck by the beauty of the church building.
Going indoors to the Hellenic Center, I was warmly greeted, and was awestruck (again) by the gorgeous jewelry and other items for sale. I'll check them out later. Then into the large hall which was set up with a few dozen circular dining tables, and perhaps a dozen rectangular serving tables with chafing dishes on the perimeter, plus a stage on one side of the hall.
Oh, where to start? I grabbed a tray, and ambled from one table to another, grabbing a Greek Salad, Greek Fries, Spanakopita, and Souvlaki with Rice. And a can of American Coke.
As I enjoyed my lunch, the hall filled up more patrons and I realized I no longer had a good view of the stage. So I moved to a better table, and began to make notes:
Greek Fries ($2): Not much different from French Fries; I ate every one.
Greek Salad, $4: A very good Salad for the price, it comprised Lettuce, adequate Feta, Red Onions, Cukes, exactly 3 Kalamata Olives, with pits, and 3 Grape Tomatoes. And a cup of Greek Vinaigrette. I like the way the Cukes are sliced into spears instead of medallions.
The Slouvaki with Rice ($10) was quite good. It would have been better if I had noticed the cups of Yogurt available in the serving line. But it was still quite good and I enjoyed every bite.
I set aside the Spanakopita for later.
Then a lot of activity on the stage, dancers getting into their position and the "DJ" getting into his. This is my only complaint about WGF. The acoustics, to use a technical term, suck! I could not understand the announcer, and the fidelity of the recorded music was dismal. Looking around, it seemed like the ceiling comprised acoustic tiles, so I'm not sure what steps need to be taken to improve the sound.
The dancers, in three separate troupes, were very entertaining, especially the younger ones. I kept hoping for the music & dance from Zorba the Greek, but it was not to be.
After 75-90 minutes, the dancers retired and I left to browse the jewelry vendors in the lobby. Bought 2 items, and came home.
I neglected to ask how long the church has been making the festival, but as smooth as it was, I'm sure they've been doing this a few years. I eagerly await the Williamsburg Greek Festival next year.
Update: 19.05.19: Eating the Spana at last. The best commercial Spanakopita in memory. (Not as good as my own (recipe from Moosewood) but still quite good.
