Mobile’s Annunciation Greek Church Opens 53rd Greek Fest Thursday

Midtown Mobile will fill with the smell of grilled souvlaki, fresh-baked pastries and bouzouki music this week as Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church opens the 53rd annual Greek Fest on Thursday. The three-day festival, one of Mobile’s longest-running cultural celebrations, draws thousands of visitors each summer for authentic Greek food, dancing, shopping and a rare public look inside the church itself.

Volunteers have spent months getting ready for the event, cooking and baking in large batches long before the doors open. Organizers say the kitchen crews prepare roughly 10,000 dinner plates for the weekend, a number that does not include the steady stream of souvlaki skewers, Greek fries and other a la carte items sold separately throughout the festival.

Volunteers Describe Months of Preparation

“We prepare for a good 10,000 dinners,” said Katina Vallas, a longtime festival volunteer. “That’s the dinners not including the souvlaki, Greek fries and things like that.”

“People look forward to it every year, it’s a big event, and I just think it’s fun watching everybody enjoy so much about the Greek culture,” said volunteer Jackie Smith.

Guided tours of the church sanctuary will be offered throughout the event.

“This is really more about hospitality, about a community coming together, breaking bread and getting to know each other a little bit better, and then the community sharing Greek culture and learning about the Greek Orthodox church,” said Rev. Fr. Elias Stevens.

Charity Proceeds and Weekend Entertainment Lineup

The festival also serves as a fundraiser for local charities. Organizers said proceeds from this year’s event will benefit groups including Penelope House, Mobile’s domestic violence shelter, and the Bay Area Food Bank, which distributes food to families across southwest Alabama.

Festivalgoers can expect a full slate of entertainment in addition to the food and shopping vendors, including live Greek music and traditional dancing performed by parish youth groups. Organizers are also promising a special appearance Saturday evening, with the group Magic Moments scheduled to perform at 6 p.m.

Festival Hours, Admission and Church Affiliation

Greek Fest runs Thursday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. at Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Midtown Mobile. Admission is $2 for adults, and children age 6 and under get in free.

Annunciation is part of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Atlanta, the diocese of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that oversees parishes across the Southeast.