For one weekend every fall, the corner of Hillcrest and Alpha smells like charred lamb and warm honey. The Greek Food Festival of Dallas returns Friday through Sunday, November 6 to 8, on the grounds of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church at 13555 Hillcrest Road. This is the 71st year, and it runs rain or shine.
It started small. In 1955, the women of the parish held a modest bazaar, and it grew, year by year, into what you see now. Those women belonged to Philoptochos, the church’s charitable society, and Philoptochos is still behind the pastries today. When you buy a box of sweets on the way out, you’re buying from the same tradition that started all of this.
The food is the reason most people show up, and the festival kitchen sticks to what its regulars expect. There’s Gyro, Souvlaki, Feta Bites and Greek Fries, plus the Pastichio, the baked Greek answer to lasagna. Layers of pasta and spiced ground meat sit under a thick, custardy béchamel that browns on top, and a square of it eats like Sunday dinner at somebody’s grandmother’s house.
Save room for the Loukoumades. They’re small puffs of fried dough, crisp outside and airy inside, soaked in honey syrup and usually dusted with cinnamon. They’re best eaten standing up, right away, with sticky fingers and no apologies. Plenty of people get a second order before they leave.
Two dishes are new this year, a Greek Lamb Bowl and a Greek Pizza. To drink, the Taverna pours Greek wine and beer, and there’s Greek coffee and the iced Frappe for anyone who needs a lift halfway through the afternoon.
Beyond the food, there’s plenty to do. The Agora marketplace is stocked with Greek groceries, jewelry, gifts and imports, and the cooking demos show how the classics get made at home. There’s live music and dancing, and an area for kids. Step inside the sanctuary for a church tour, too. The iconography alone is worth the walk, and there’s a lecture on Byzantine chanting for anyone curious about the music behind the liturgy. The religious bookstore in the Agora has been expanded this year, and the cultural center covers the history of Greece.
The festival runs 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. General admission tickets are $11.25 and good for any day. Kids 10 and under get in free, and so do military personnel, teachers and first responders with photo ID. Once you’re inside, the festival is cashless, so bring a card for food and drinks.
Parking takes a little planning. Valet on the festival grounds is $25, and there’s $10 parking across Alpha Road at Temple Shalom, 6930 Alpha Road, which also has free handicap parking with golf carts to the gate. A $5 lot at King of Glory Lutheran Church, 6411 Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway, runs a shuttle. Rideshare drop-off is at the Alpha Road entrance on the north side of the grounds. The festival’s FAQ page covers the rest.
Go hungry, take a box of pastries home, and thank the women behind the table when you do.
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