Eco-Friendly Design
St. George Greek Orthodox Church in Piscataway is holding its annual Greek Festival from May 16 to 19.
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The festival will open Thursday, May 16, from 4-9 p.m., and continue Friday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., on Saturday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday, May 19, from noon to 8 p.m., according to a news release. The church is located at 1101 River Road.
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“The event is currently a staple in Piscataway Township and Middlesex County, and is one of the largest and well-attended Greek Festivals in the state of New Jersey,” it was stated in a news release. “This Central Jersey tradition is known for its warm hospitality, enthusiastic volunteers and delicious homemade Greek foods and pastries.”
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This year’s marks the 51st time the church has held its festival, according to the news release.
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This year’s festival includes two stations serving Greek food made by church volunteers, including pastitsio, moussaka, dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), tiropites (cheese pie), spanakopites (spinach pie), baklava, koulourakia (butter cookies) and melomakarona (honey walnut cookies).
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Souvlakia, gyros and loukoumades (honey puffs) will be returning to the outdoor Taverna, as well as octopus, Greek fries and loukaniko (sausage). In the indoor dining area, meals like roast chicken Athenian, sliced lamb and the mezedaki platter can be found. There are also plenty of vegetarian options as well. Food can be ordered online starting at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 16.
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Entertainment includes Greek folk dance groups as well as live traditional music.
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“Greek culture is one of the many cultures represented in New Jersey,” said Arete Bouhlas, who volunteers her time to do publicity and marketing for the church. “Obviously, every culture has its own distinct flare and flavor.
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“Greek culture is really special in that we have been coming to the United States since the early 1900s. I like to think that we are one of those cultures that held onto our roots.”