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Greek Cultural Festival Returns for Another Year of Drive-Thru Greek Cultural Festival Returns for Another Year of Drive-Thru

By Shubhika Prakash

[Music]
ANCHOR: Greek fest returns to Central New York after it was cancelled last year. Our NCC reporter Shubhika Prakash is there live.
REPORTER: Yes, I’m here live at St. Sophia’s church in Dewitt where cars are beginning to line up for the first day of the Greek Cultural Festival. I was here earlier this morning while church members were preparing for tonight.
REPORTER: Saint Sophia’s church is hosting a drive-through food fest as part of its annual Greek Cultural Celebration. Church member Sophia Meskos says this
was the best way to go.
SOPHIA MESKOS: We started planning the drive-through earlier this year and with the pandemic and not knowing what the restrictions were we just figured this would be the safest way to do it for this year at least, and we’re just thrilled to be able to be together again, even preparing.
REPORTER: This morning church members prepared their homemade spanakopita including Spirithula Kostakis a 50-year member of the church who says she has been a part of the festival since it first started.
SPIRITHULA KOSTAKIS: It’s growing tremendous year after year. It’s always hard to calculate how much we have to prepare a lot of things to sell out.
REPORTER: New this year, pre-orders can be placed online and they expanded the menu. But of course, the most popular items are
always the gyros, loukoumades, spanakopita, and the baklava. Frieda Meskos says today goes beyond the food for her.
FRIEDA MESKOS: The church is everything, so because of our churches everything we gotta support it and keep out going so tough times but we’re here.
REPORTER: Despite the pandemic, this is the 48th annual Greek Cultural Festival.
SOPHIA MESKOS: It’s a huge tradition for all of us in Syracuse and even for non-greeks in Syracuse. They love it year after year, so we’re always happy to have
that.
FRIEDA MESKOS: Everybody cannot wait to be here for the food.
REPORTER: And this is true. As you can see there is a long line of cars behind me, actually backed up into Tecumseh road. The church will be open until 9 pm tonight. As the Greeks say, kali orexi! Reporting live for NCC news, I’m Shubhika Prakash.

DEWITT, N.Y. (NCC News) — St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church’s annual Greek cultural festival began today. This is the second year the church is hosting a drive-thru food fest. 

Woman wearing apron standing in front of church members preparing for Greek Food Fest
Church member Sophia Mestos helped make the spanakopita and tiropita on Thursday morning. Mestos was born into St. Sophia’s Greek Orthodox Church and has been part of it for her entire life.
© 2021 Shubhika Prakash

“We started planning the drive-thru earlier this year and with the pandemic and not knowing what the restrictions were, we just figured this would be the safest way to do it for this year, at least,” church member Sophia Mestos said. “And we’re just thrilled to be able to be together again.”

New this year, pre-orders can be placed online for express curbside pickup. This is the 48th annual Greek cultural festival. 

“It’s growing tremendous year after year.,” Spirithula Kostakis, a 50-year member of the church, said. It’s always hard to calculate how much we have to prepare. A lot of things sell out.”

This year the menu has been expanded to include items like spanakopita and tiropita. According to Mestos, the most popular items are always the gyros, loukoumades, and baklava. 

“It’s a huge tradition for all of us in Syracuse and even for non-Greeks in Syracuse.” Mestos said. “They love it year after year. So we’re always happy to have that.”

White tents and big blue and white Greek flag on church building with a blue sky in the background
St. Sophia’s began setting up early for the second drive-thru Greek Food Fest. There is a large community of Greek Americans in the area; the church has more than 250 families.
© 2021 Sarah Salzman

The church’s address is 325 Waring Rd., and the entrance for the drive-thru is on Tecumseh Road. The festival began Thursday and will continue through this weekend. For hours and more information, see its website.

Location

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