Photos courtesy of the Long Beach Greek Festival.

For those who move to Long Beach for the first time, it is an iconic structure that immediately piques curiosity: sitting along PCH across from Bixby Village Golf Course, the Assumption Orthodox Greek Church captivates the eye with its Grecian white-and-blue color scheme and beautiful dome. It is also home to the Long Beach Greek Festival, an annual festivity that celebrates its 65th birthday this weekend.

In 1933, the Assumption Orthodox Greek Church bought a parcel of land at PCH and Pacific Ave. to build what would be their home for nearly six decades. Sixteen years later, it would inaugurate the Long Beach Greek Festival as a Labor Day celebratory staple.

What we know as the Greek Festival started in 1991 when the church moved its headquarters to the aforementioned structure it currently sits at near Colorado and PCH.

For a paltry three bucks, Long Beachers are invited to dance, drink, and get down on Greek grub to join in with and celebrate our city’s Greek community.

We’re talkin’ libations courtesy of Hillas and Mithos (we lean toward Hillas ourselves) while grubbing on loukoumades, an orange-zest sausage that is a beer drinker’s dream food companion. We’re talkin’ some souvlakia after getting down to the tunes of the Olympians on the dance floor.

The Pasadena Greek Festival? Okay. The Greek Fest in LA? Sure. The Long Beach Greek Festival? Unquestionably. Be Greek for the week.

The 65th Long Beach Greek Festival will take place August 30 through September 1 at the Assumption Orthodox Greek Church, located at 5761 E Colorado. Free parking will be available at CSULB on Palo Verde and E. Atherton, with a shuttle providing transportation to and from the festival. For more information, click here http://www.lbgreekfest.org/