Hours are from 3 to 10 p.m. Friday; noon to 10 p.m. Saturday; and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The church sponsors two Greek festivals each year, explained Rev. Steve Denas. The one beginning Friday will be indoors, he said, at the community center across the street from the church at 401 12th St.

Festival admission is free, but the church charges for dinner and la carte items. The food will all be made on-site, said the Rev. Denas, and will include gyros and souvlakia, which is shish kebab made with pork or lamb. Salads and desserts also will be available. Beverages will include beer, wine and Greek coffee.

Rev. Denas said the festival serves two purposes: to welcome the community in to experience Greek culture and to raise money for the church.

Monastic nuns from Saxonburg, Pa., are expected to display religious icons and artifacts, he said.

Youth dancers will perform traditional dances at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. Friday; 4:30, 6 and 7 p.m. Saturday; and 3:30, 6 and 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

(Source: Vindy.com)

Popular dishes made by recipes handed down from generations include plaki (baked fish with vegetables); lamb shanks; pastichio (meat with pasta); chicken oreganato; souvlaki; gyros (the famous Greek wrap sandwich); spanakopita and tiropita (phyllo spinach and cheese triangles); and Greek salads.

Authentic Greek pastries will provide the perfect end to the meal. Favorites include baklava; diples (rolled dough); flogeres (with a touch of chocolate); and Kataife (shredded wheat rolls.)

Shouts of “Opa!” will be heard throughout the festival but especially from the dance floor which will showcase the talents of the church’s award-winning Syrtaki Dance Troupe and Greek School Dancers. The adult and children’s groups will demonstrate dancing from the regions of Greece, complete with costumes and music representative of the area. The public is invited to join in the dancing between performances, or take part in a new feature this year, Greek dance lessons.

In addition to food and dancing, the festival also provides an opportunity for the community to learn more about the Orthodox Christian faith through guided tours in the Saint Mark sanctuary.

The festival will also include a drive-thru for diners on the go, kid rides and amusements, raffle prizes and shopping vendors. Admission is $5 per person; children 11 and younger are free.

Free shuttle service is available from behind the Shoppes of Blue Lake just east of the church on Broken Sound Boulevard and free parking is available at the church and at Patch Reef Park.

For more information, visit http://www.SaintMarkBocanet/

Festival or call 561-994-4822 . •

Athina Krikeli was the first Hellene to serve the Greek Archdiocese on a high position, as the Press Officer of the Archdiocese of America.

She is the only Hellenic woman who votes for the Emmys and the New York festivals.Krikeli is a member of the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS), the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and the United Nations Correspondent Association (UNCA).

The award winner stated that the documentary ‘The Enclaved in Cyprus’ is a way of introducing the story of the enclaved people in occupied Cyprus to the whole world.

In addition to enjoying Greek delicacies, live music, folk dancing demonstrations, and Mediterranean folk art, which are popular attractions at the highly attended annual event, the Bainbridge College students also toured the church building.

The Holy Mother of God Greek Orthodox Church held this event to give back to the community to say thanks for all the love and support they receive during Greek Festivals every year.

The festival’s opening day began with Attenberg, Greece’s submission for Best Foreign Film for the 2012 Academy Awards, and highlights include Pelican’s Watch, a documentary about Europe’s oldest vineyard, on the island of Santorini, and the farmers struggling to keep it up and running.

Location: Museum of Fine Arts, 465 Huntington Ave, Boston

December 1, 2011 – December 11, 2011

$11; $9 students, seniors

Greek Ambassador  Vassilis Kaskarelis emphasized the significance of promoting cultural, religious and tourism aspects of Hellenism through books and important publications.

The event’s attendees included eminent journalists and authors such as Michalis Ignatiou and Ioustini Fragouli, who presented their multidimensional work. The book festival also included books of the following: Yiota Strati, Gavriil Panagiosoulis, Vana Kontomerkou, Evagelos Diakoyannis, Makis Tzilianos, Stella Zampourou-Folender, Dimitris Moustakis and Dimitris Trigonis.

The book festival provided biographies, books for children, diaries and cookbooks from Greek publishing houses and also books concerning stories and experiences from the Greek immigration.

“Almost 12 ladies have been working very hard to bake and cook. They come with recipes they have in their families for generations,” said Coula Dracos, chairwoman of St. Demetrios Philoptochos Society.

The event is a fund-raiser with proceeds going to the church to maintain culture and faith, to needy individuals within the community as well as to organizations fighting hunger or cancer, providing shelter to people in need.

Last year’s Greek Food Festival raised about $17,000. It is estimated that about 800 to 900 people are being served during the two-day event.

The menu has not changed over the past 48 years, since the event was held for the first time.

The menu includes baked cod, roast leg of lamb, Athenian chicken, dolmades (beef and rice wrapped in a leaf), pastichio (the Greek version of lasagna), spinach and cheese puffs, and several desserts like baklava, galaktobouriko (custard pie), kourambiethes (butter cookies) and melos (spice cookies dipped in honey).

The tradition of the Greek Festival is a celebration of the Greek culture and an educational event as well. However, the parish is formed by more than just one ethnic background including Russian, Ukrainian and Spanish.

Father Stelios Sitaras, who has been leading the Church for the past 11 years, will lead tours of the church and will be welcoming questions on the Greek Orthodox faith.What started decades ago as a small bake sale, has grown to a key church fundraiser. Proceeds from the festival will help fund a local, national and international ministry.

“The Greek Festival is our parish’s opportunity to display our cultural and spiritual warmth with the Corpus Christi area,” Father Sitaras said.

The 2011 Greek Festival is November 4, 5 & 6, 2011 at 502 S. Chaparral St. , Corpus Christi , TX.

Admission is free to everyone.

Friday, November 4- 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 5- 12:00 noon to 11:00 p.m.

Sunday, November 6- 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.

Tickets are $25 in advance and $30 at the door. They are available at Angelo’s Pizzeria on Hammond Street and Captain Nick’s on Union Street. Admission for youth 17 and under (accompanied by an adult) is $10. Proceeds benefit the mission of the church in its service to the community.

Free Greek dancing lessons before the event will be given, 7-8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the St. George Church Fellowship Hall, 90 Sanford St.

For information, visit stgeorge.me.goarch.org or call 945-9588.

The event, sponsored by the Galveston Island Greek community, is a celebration of the Hellenic culture and features food, wine, pastries, gift items, Greek dancing and entertainment by Alex Kalos — The Golden Greek.

Admission is $4 per person and free for children 12 and younger.

Proceeds will benefit the church’s Hurricane Ike Recovery Fund.

Visit assumption.tx.goarch.org or galveston.com.