GreekFest to celebrate 50th anniversary Aug. 25-26 in Carmel

The 50th anniversary of the Indianapolis GreekFest is more than a special milestone.

“Celebrating Hellenism and the Greek immigrant story in central Indiana is truly something that fills us with pride every year, but it’s even more special this year as we celebrate this accomplishment, especially after an interesting few years of navigating what a cultural festival looked like during an era of a pandemic,” GreekFest marketing director Lenie Tsakonas said. “This included really thinking about how we continue to make this event viable in an effort to continue engaging our youth to have a foundational understanding of their Hellenic roots. How do we strategically work out a festival plan that is run exclusively by volunteers, in a time where volunteer-run organizations are struggling to fill roles? Much of it came down to the Greek American values of humility and hard work. Those values truly are what keeps our community dedicated to the Indy Greek Fest mission year after year.”

Indianapolis GreekFest, which has been held in Carmel since 2009, will be from 4 to 10 p.m. Aug. 25 and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Aug. 26 on the grounds of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral, 3500 W. 106th St. The event will include Greek music, authentic Greek food and pastries and cooking demonstrations. Tours of the cathedral will also be available.

To celebrate 50 years, Tsakonas said there will be the addition of a special mezze (Greek appetizer) called the Herculean platter. The platter includes tiropita, spanakopita, feta cheese, spicy feta dip, Kalamata olives, hummus, tzatziki, pita quarters and Keftedes (Greek meatballs).

“We’re excited to be returning to our usual festival footprint of being fully outdoors again with our famous pastry shop inside the Cathedral,” Tsakonas said. “Our kids zone is back as well and it will include yard games, puppet shows and some special sweet treats. We’re also excited to welcome back George Karras and Band to Indiana. They’ll be performing live Greek music, both traditional folk tunes and modern Greek hits.”