Greer's OC

The three-day celebration of Greek foods, wines, music and dance returns June 24-26 at the 38th annual “A Taste of Greece” festival at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine. The family-friendly event will feature traditional Greek cuisine and pastries, wine tasting, live music, church tours, authentic Greek dancing with lessons, and boutique booths reminiscent of the Plaka, a historical neighborhood of Athens.

The traditional Greek offerings will include delicious chicken, lamb chops, Greek french fries, gyros, Pastichio (Greek lasagna), Loucanico (Greek sausage), Spanakopita (spinach and feta pie), Dolmathes (stuffed grape leaves), Saganaki (Greek brandy-flamed cheese), Loukoumathes (Greek doughnut holes), Greek salad, calamari and more.

Portola Coffee Lab will serve Greek and American coffee drinks in a traditional Plaka setting. The Philoptochos, the church’s philanthropic group, have been baking traditional Baklava and other exquisite pastries for weeks leading up to the festival.

The festival will offer free Greek dance lessons throughout the weekend, and also feature boutique shops, a variety of games and a full-scale carnival. Event attendees can also enter an opportunity drawing for the chance to win one of five premiere prizes, including $1,500 cash, a 60” HD Smart TV, iPad AIR 2, $500 Disneyland Gift Card and Men’s or Ladies’ S2 GPS Approach Golf Watch.

Festival admission is just $3 per person, with free admission on Saturday, June 25 from noon – 5 p.m. for seniors 65 years and older. Children under the age of 10 are admitted free (with parents or an adult) throughout the three-day festival. Free festival parking will also be available, with complimentary shuttle buses transporting guests from public parking sites in Irvine.

Open 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, June 24; noon to 10 p.m. on Saturday, June 25; and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday, June 26. 

4949 Alton Parkway, between Culver Drive and Jeffrey Road in Irvine. For information, visit IrvineGreekFest.com.