Come enjoy the best homemade Greek food in the Hampton Roads, along with authentic Greek song and dance at the Annual Newport News Greek Festival. Beginning Thursday and continuing through Sunday, Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church in Newport News will reveal the true treasures of Greece, all open to the public with free admission.

Traditional culinary delights including homemade baklava, spanakopita, tiropita, moussaka, gyro, souvlaki, crispy calamari, Greek honey puffs, and the ever-popular authentic Greek salad are among the many items on the festival menu. Also featured is the all-time Greek favorite, pit and spit-roasted lamb seasoned to perfection with special herbs.

Some of the finest chefs in Hampton Roads come from among the 450 families of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, including residents of Williamsburg and Gloucester. All of the chefs for the festival prepare their specialties as their families did before them.

Under an 18,000 square-foot tent, our four award-winning Hellenic Youth Dance groups (Hope, Joy, GOYA, and Enosi) will perform high-energy selections of both traditional and modern Greek dances. Our children begin dance training at the age of 5; competition begins at the age of 8 through young adulthood. This past winter, our Joy group competed in the Greek Folk Dance Festival in Annapolis, Maryland and our GOYA and Enosi groups traveled to New York City for a Greek dance event.  A live Greek band with a repertoire of ancient and modern Greek music will play the entire weekend for your entertainment.

The Marketplace, or Agora, will feature handcrafted gold and silver jewelry, pottery, tablecloths, leather handbags, cookbooks, pewter dishes, icons, and wood crafts. Take home the flavors of our festival with such purchases as filo, orzo, Greek olives, a variety of cheeses and olive oil from the Greek Country Store. Our famous Greek Pastry Shop will tantalize your taste buds. A bouquet of aromas emanating from baklava, koulourakia and Greek honey puffs will entice you to purchase Greek pastries to take home.

The Newport News Greek Festival began in 1967 and has grown into one of the region's most elaborate and popular ethnic celebrations. Last year our kickoff began with a splash thanks to the Daily Press. We were listed with the general public in the Special Pull-off Events Calendar for 2002. The highlight was being chosen in their "Our Favorites" column as well.

Festival hours begin 11:00am to 10:00pm Thursday through Saturday; and Sunday from Noon until 6:00pm.