Greek Food Festival Of Dallas

I am glad I waited 3 years to write this review. This festival is getting worse and worse and we won't return next year. We are lucky we live close by so we always bike here, so at least we can beat the traffic and the horrific price for parking. First year they ran out of gyros, no joke!!! Second year, no baklava sundae , ran out. This year, not enough that the prices skyrocketed, some vendors didn't even make an effort to print new menus, they literally just crossed prices and put whatever they wanted. Or, they wanted to go with the last year price but seeing all other vendors increased theirs... hmmmm ,, yeah !! Us too! We tried the gyro, no flavor, mediocre at best, so expensive , $12 for just the pita and the meat. No side, and they all wrapped up on trays, God knows how long they stay there. Lamb sliders and fries was our next choice, nothing special there either. Again, store bought slider buns and not enough meat, not tasty, fries also stay under a heat lamp, the frozen type of course. Like can you guys make some effort at least??? Fast paced, long lines, order, pay, GET OUT!!! We were not impressed at all. Best thing was the baklava sundae for sure.So... bye bye OPA! Greek festival. We had enough of your traps.

Food is amazing. 3 days of fun music and incredible food. Lamb, pork, chicken , gyros, salads and enough pastry and desserts to sink a ship! And I am told they donate a huge % of the funds to organizations outside the walls of the church. Excellent!!!!

Lots of fun and good food to be had here! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and look forward to returning next year. OPA!

Thank you to the many volunteers who orchestrated an amazing Greek Festival. I've been to Greek Fests in AZ, HI, WA and TX, but I would have to say this one was by far the most organized. All of them have a common theme, raise money for the Greek Orthodox Church by selling Mediterranean food as well as arts, crafts, and books while educating the public about the church and the Greek culture. This festival stood out because the volunteers focused on every last detail. Usually you have to stand in one line after another to get anything, but that wasn't the case here. There were so many options for buying tickets and so many volunteers working every station, that we easily spent more time enjoying ourselves than we did standing around in queues That wasn't the case in Honolulu, Hawaii. Trashcans were everywhere and refuse was regularly collected. There is nothing more unappealing than an overflowing trashcan with flies and bees buzzing around the leftovers and then visiting your drink can and the bite you are about to take. Thankfully this festival had a dedicated crew regularly pulling out the trash bags, and carting them away. The place stayed meticulously clean and bug free which is more than I can say for the small one I attended in Bellingham, Washington. Food choices were plentiful and it was served hot and fresh. The standards were on the menu such as gyros, dolomades, and baklava, but you could also get Greek lasagna, lamb chops and Greek sausage. Signs clearly indicated the ingredients of each dish and the number of coupons to purchase them. These were also listed in the lovely program guide. The event took place regardless of rain or shine. Thankfully plentiful seating was available in the shade of a tent as well as en plein air. Entertainment could be heard throughout the venue with loudspeakers positioned everywhere. The stage was a raised platform so that you could see the dancers and musicians perform. The band on Sunday midday was quite good. The male singer had an amazing voice. The children's area was secure and provided an array of activities for the kiddos. They could run around and play without bumping into the public. Lots of kids had face painting done. Parking was nearby and free. I read that you could also pay for valet or take a shuttle bus. We managed to find a free place across the street. I bought tickets online through Eventbrite. General admission was $7 and food coupons were sold in packs of 20 coupons for $20 plus tax. This made it easy to bypass the the lines at will call or the lines for those needing to purchase their tickets and coupons with cash or credit card in person. I loved the wide variety of items in the Agora (marketplace). They sold baby olive trees! There was soap, incense, potpourri, gold and silver jewelry with gemstones, light cotton clothing, intricately carved wooden boxes, beautifully painted nesting dolls and wooden eggs, oil paintings, lamps, etc. We had fun weaving our way through the souk. The aisles were narrow and the tables were packed with unique finds. The history room had maps, art and some explanations of Ancient Greek. There was also a tour of the church were you could learn about some of the iconography, alter setup, clergy vestments, and Greek Orthodox practice. The attention to the details was evident by this amazing group of church volunteers. They demonstrated their passion and friendliness from the moment you walked in the door to the final exit. We were able to find someone to answer our questions every step of the way with the handy guide book, and information desks setup throughout. A woman in a wheelchair even thanked everyone for coming as they left the venue. What an absolutely pleasurable experience.

A beautiful day filled with great Greek music, art items, Greek food and fun!All things Greek spell AWESOME!

Great festival to come to, enjoy good people, good food and entertainment. I go every year plus Greek food is one of my favorites

This is an excellent family friendly event to attend if you are a Greek food lover! I know, I know, how am I just reviewing this?! Well mark your calendars for the next one. There is so much culture, art and who knew that the Greeks even had solid (and strong) coffee!! I also loved being able to get a little history on the Greek orthodox church. The lines are insanely long for food though and everything requires a ticket so arrive early so you do not bake in the Texas heat. The music though is lively, the people are lively, the everything is lively! Just how you would expect it to be. Greeks of course do it big and they do it oh so well. I just really enjoyed going and being immersed in the culture. I will say it is like any festival though, be prepared for the crazy parking, the long walking everywhere, the cost of tickets etc etc. You are supporting something precious and special though. I can't wait to to back and bring family and friends. It was a lovely time indeed.

This is an annual everything is Greek to me party! I lived on the other side of the Aegean Sea from Greece and miss the food, flavors and artwork that one always finds at this festival.My last trip was the same as the others; eat some of everything, buy a few evil eyes, drink a Greek beer or 3, and take home all the Greek pastries I can carry. OH, and let's not forget watching and listening to the performers!If you've never been to this Greek food festival, then you are missing out.

It was a fun event to check out and I definitely recommend going at least once! The gyros were delicious and the church was beautiful! They also have a free shuttle service to and from the festival, which is nice.However, the lines were ridiculous for every food item (almost an hr for gyros) and things were running out fast. Also, entrance fee was $6 and then each food ticket was $1 and each item was at least 4-7 tickets, which gets pretty pricey. Organization of the festival could def be better and prices should not be this expensive. But the cultural part of the festival was great and really entertaining.

Always love supporting churches, especially the beautiful Greek Orthodox church! Went there this weekend, $6 admission good for THE ENTIRE weekend! That's 2 bucks a day if you attend all three days!! Everyone there is so friendly. We tried the Greek hot coffee (get this- it's pretty good even if it's small), the European iced coffee (eh not a fan. Seemed like something was wrong with the milk), the gyro (very very flavorful and the perfect amount of taziki sauce in the gyro), and the lamb sliders (great meat, not as much flavor). We also went to the baklava cooking demos (they have the schedule of demos on their site), and it was great! We got free samples at the end :) Love that there is free parking down the street and a shuttle to take us there (free parking and shuttle at brinker international)The church itself is absolutely beautiful (they have church tours), but the construction is a little off putting. Their marketplace was nice! Some of the icons were a little expensive, but they have a variety of Greek things to buy! Will go again next year :)