The Long Beach Greek Festival made a roaring comeback on Saturday after taking a year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The event is being hosted on the grounds of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Greek Orthodox Church at 5761 E Colorado St. It will run Saturday, Sunday and Monday during the Labor Day holiday weekend.
Organizers of the event invite guests to celebrate Greek culture through food and artesian vendors, drinks and live musical performances. Some cultural food offerings include sweet baklava pastries, lamb gyros and souvlaki chicken skewers.
In recent years, the event drew over 10,000 people, but it has been slightly scaled back to follow COVID-19 guidelines. It’s expected to attract more than 5,000 over the course of three days, according to festival co-chair Jimmy Eleopoulos.
On Saturday, guests Bill Cheney and Charles Simkins accompanied Teresa Simkins who had never attended the festival before.
“I’m really impressed with the music and tried baklava for the first time,” she said.
The event costs $5. Doors open to the public at noon. There are free parking and shuttle rides to and from the festival at the Long Beach VA Hospital parking lot off N. Bellflower Boulevard and Anaheim Road.
