As it brought the vibrant Greek culture to central Ohio, the annual Columbus Greek Festival was nothing short of incredible this year.

   For the past 49 years, the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral has played host to a 4-day long celebration for all things Greek. For over ten years, my family and I have made it our mission to soak up as much of it as we can every Labor Day weekend. This year, we went both Saturday and Monday.

   While there are countless things to see and do, the food is at the center of the festival. Outside the church, typical Greek street food is available. This year, I tried the gyro, Greek fries, and saganaki, all of which were incredible. In the inside of the Cathedral, more traditional Greek food is displayed. Over the weekend, I tried the dolmades, keftedes, pastichio, moussaka, lemon potatoes, spanakopita, and tiropita. While I could have easily gone back for seconds on everything, the keftedes will always hold a special place in my heart.

   In the courtyard (you guessed it), there’s even more food. A cafe is set up, with frappes and Greek coffee available to purchase. I’m not a big fan of coffee in general, but I was told by nearly all of my family that I was missing out on something special. However, the courtyard may be my favorite place of the festival because it is also home to the loukoumades. Loukoumades are a fried, spongy dough that is covered in honey, walnuts, and cinnamon. They’re served hot and fresh, and are easily one of my favorite desserts of all time. 

   There’s also another section of the church reserved for baked goods. The baklava and kataifi are always delicious, as is the tsoureki, a traditional Easter bread. 

   Aside from the delicious food, Greek art and music is impossible to ignore at the festival. Live music performances from local musicians kept the atmosphere up, as well as traditional dances from several groups within the church. Choirs popped up in the Cathedral and the courtyard to bring beautiful songs to everyone.

   A plethora of different artists had also set up shop around the church. My mother bought a few necklaces from Chrysalis Bleu jewelry, and my family bought two separate pieces from local artist Evangelia Philippidis. Several of the walls in our house are now home to paintings purchased at the Greek Festival. 

   The church also holds tours for the stunning Cathedral throughout the weekend. Even if you aren’t religious, the Cathedral is undoubtedly beautiful, and is worth a stop in. 

    The weekend was filled with gorgeous, jubilant Greek culture, and is easily one of my favorite weekends of the year. If you live in Columbus and haven’t been to the Greek Festival yet, you absolutely need to check it out. Admission is free for children and is only $5 for adults for the entire weekend. There’s something for everyone, and it really is a must-see event.

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Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Koeppen: One of my plates this year consisted of lemon potatoes, keftedes, spanakopita, and moussaka. The keftedes are almost like meatballs, but the sauce is something I can’t get enough of.