Joanna Katsos packs a bag of cookies in preparation for the St. George Greek Orthodox Church Grecian Festival next weekend. Photo by Paula Muller
By Bill Brotherton
LYNN — “Don’t inhale, the powdered sugar will go up your nose,” said Anita Rassias, digging into a pizza box filled with Kourambiethes, the delicious cookies that sell out every year at the St. George Greek Orthodox Church Grecian Festival.
We’re in the super-secret locked back room near the St. George gymnasium. This is where the goodies are stashed until the church’s annual festival begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 2. Stored here are 1,458 Kourambiethes — well, 1,456; we ate a couple — and plastic containers stuffed with 3,500 Finikia, a plain cookie that will be dipped in honey syrup and coated in nuts next week.
Rassias is supervising a dozen of her fellow Ladies Philoptochos Society members, who have volunteered to make, bake and bag cookies. “They are the cookie superstars,” she said, smiling. Next week, these women and others will make 14 big sheet pans of baklava (1,120 servings) and seven pans of Galaktoboureko (490 servings), a flaky phyllo dough shell filled with custard.
“People come to the festival and make a beeline to the pastry booth,” said Rassias. “They go crazy for the combination box, which has samples of each cookie and pastry.”
It takes a lot of work, a lot of volunteers and a lot of support to get the St. George Greek Orthodox Church Grecian Festival up and running every year. And chances are good that everything will run smoothly Labor Day weekend, when this year’s fest of family fun, music and food takes place on the church’s South Common Street grounds.
“This is our number one fundraiser,” said Costa Speliakos, president of the church’s Parish Council. “It’s strictly a volunteer effort. A number of people and supporters step up to the plate to make this happen. It’s wonderful to see how everybody works together to make this a success year after year.”
Speliakos said the traditional Greek pastries and food, prepared by the women and men of the church, are a major draw.
It’s also a major undertaking. Rassias produced her shopping list: 22 bags of flour, 145 pounds of unsalted butter, 30 dozen eggs, 62 pounds of walnuts, 2 gallons of Wesson oil and myriad other items. “A lot of these cookies take a long time to make and are a lot of work, so not many people make them at home any more,” said Rassias. Family recipes are used, she adds, which are included in a cookbook that will be for sale at the festival for $12.
The festival celebrates the Greek way of life, and the Hellenic theme carries over to everything at the event.
And, Speliakos says you don’t have be Greek to have a good time.
“The camaraderie is wonderful. The people who come are all shapes and sizes, Greek and non-Greek, and from all over, not only Lynn. It’s a weekend when everyone can be a little bit Greek,” added Speliakos, who has been a St. George member since 1973.
In addition to the Greek cuisine and pastries, there will be games and rides for children, Greek dance troupes and boutiques. Continuous music will provided during the day by Ultimate Entertainment with DJ Gumpa. Greek bands will play live at night.
The annual raffle is also a highlight. For $5 per chance, participants will have the opportunity to win the $25,000 grand prize. The raffle drawing will take place at 11 p.m. on Sept. 4.
The St. George Greek Orthodox Church Grecian Festival, 54 South Common St., takes place Friday, Sept. 2, 6 p.m.-midnight, and Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 3 and 4, noon to midnight. Admission is $3 for adults after 4 p.m. on Sept. 3 and 4.
