Religion

Last Updated on Monday, 31 July 2017 16:17

St. Spyridon, 119 St. Spyridon Lane, Monessen, will host its festival on Friday and Saturday, August 18 - 19, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day.

Good food, lively dancing, and 45 years of memories will be celebrated during this annual event.

This event attracts visitors from throughout the Mon Valley and the Greater Pittsburgh area. All the food and pastries are made from traditional Greek recipes handed down from generation to generation.

This year’s menu includes pastichio (baked macaroni and cheese with seasoned ground beef and a béchamel cream sauce), moussaka (eggplant casserole), souzoukakia (Greek meatballs simmered in a tomato-wine sauce), psari plaki (baked cod in a tomato-vegetable sauce), stuffed grape leaves, spanakopita (spinach and feta cheese baked in a filo pastry crust), and giovetsi (orzo pasta with vegetables). Featured food items will also include stuffed zucchini, stuffed tomatoes, and charcoal grilled lamb souvlakia (shish-ka-bob), along with gyros - a festival favorite!

A variety of delectable Greek pastries and desserts will also be offered, including baklava, galatoboureko (filo pastry filled with custard), kourambiethes (a soft butter cookie topped with powdered sugar), finikia (a moist oval-shaped cookie dipped in honey syrup and sprinkled with walnuts), loukoumades (light, fluffy honey puffs served with warm syrup and cinnamon), rice pudding, and bakalava sundaes.

In addition to the food and fellowship, festival-goers can enjoy live music each evening.

Festival admission and parking are free. For more information, call the Hellenic Center at 724-684-4841.