AUTHOR’S NOTE: I returned to this festival in 2019, which you can read at
https://ohiofestivals.net/paul-grecian-festival/
This post documents my experience on July 21, 2012.
****
When I visited the St. Paul Grecian Festival in North Royalton, I thought it was very similar to other Greek festivals I’ve visited in the area.
Outside, there were some kids’ games…
…and a large outdoor tent…
…with a stage for evening entertainment…
…a bar…
…and an outside dining area.
There was also a Drive Thru…
…carefully routed around the tent with orange cones…
…that led cars here to this Drive Thru station.
Up these stairs from the tent, there was an outside sitting area…
…and a baklava sundae station to help beat the summer heat.
But inside the building is where you would find the heart of the festival….
…with a main dining area…
…a friendly bartender staff…
…musical entertainment…
…and two cafeteria lines for even more grubbing.
Dishes at both the indoor and outdoor dining areas included gyros, lamb shanks, kebobs and more. And, although I thought some of the dishes were decently priced (ie spanakopita was $1), some dishes were seriously overpriced (moussaka was $9 while dolmathes were $1/1 or $2.50/3).
Fortunately, prices for desserts, including loukoumathes…
…and other pastries weren’t bad.
That’s why I didn’t hold back with the delicious pineapple cheese rolls and rolled galaktoboureko.
Outside the dining area…
.…there was a huge silent auction going on….
…and vendors that sold fine jewelry (Wiant Jewelers and Elaine Pappas)…
…fashion jewelry and purses (Valerie’s Unique Boutique)…
…and religious items via the church bookstore.
And, speaking of the church….
…it was absolutely beautiful…
…and my eyes kept wandering around at all the beautiful imagery and colors.
The altar was set up for the festival weekend….
…with items marked for visitors to better understand the Orthodox faith.
But, in the end, I found myself distracted….
…with thoughts of our first born child expected to arrive this October.