One of Rhode Island’s most time-honored traditions will continue this weekend in Pawtucket.
The Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church in Pawtucket will hold its 89th annual Grecian Festival beginning tomorrow and continuing through Sunday.
Festival hours will be 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday. Admission and parking is free. The event will be held on the church grounds, located at 97 Wolcott St. in Pawtucket.
“The church will transform its grounds into a virtual Village Festival,” said Ellie Panichas, a spokesperson for the event. “We’re inviting everyone to be Greek for the weekend.”
Officials have expanded the festival’s marketplace and invited local artists from Pawtucket, Providence, and the entire state to display and sell their work. Other vendors will also be on hand selling clothing, jewelry, toys, and much more.
Guests will be greeted by a life-size Evzone and guided to the festival grounds through a parade of flags. There will also be lamb roasting on the spit, and nearby booths will offer a variety of Greek foods and pastries that will be prepared and served in the parish’s professional kitchen.
“This is the time when the parish showcases its Greek heritage,” Panichas said. “There will be culture and Greek Orthodoxy as the church commemorates the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.”
Panichas said the festival menu includes favorite Greek dishes such as roast lamb, baked lamb shank, roasted chicken, rice pilaf, gyros, souvlaki, tiropetes, pastitsio, spankopita, stuffed grape leaves, moussaka, and much more. There will also be a full-service cash bar featuring standards and Greek beverages.
There will also be a large variety of Greek pastries, and the Greek Pride Dance Troupe will perform traditional and modern dances representing various regions of Greece.
Free shuttle bus service is also available at the easy-access parking lot located just minutes away on Roosevelt Avenue across from the Pawtucket City Hall. For more information, call 401-725-3127. 1
SUPER SERVERS:
Volunteers from the Assumption of the Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church will serve a large variety of Greek foods and pastries during the parish’s 89th annual festival this weekend. (Submitted photos) 2
DYNAMIC DANCERS:
The Greek Pride Dance Troupe will perform dances from various regions in Greece.
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