Annual Greek Food Festival returns to Newburyport

The celebration will be held for the first time since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gyros will be served at Newburyport's Greek Food Festival. Globe Staff/Karoline Boehm Goodnick

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Newburyport’s Greek Food Festival, an event that has been running over the past four decades, will once again take place at the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church. It will be held from July 29-31.

This will be the first time that the festival has been held since the COVID-19 pandemic first began, and over the past two years, the church held smaller “Greek To Go” events that involved curbside pickup.

“First, it’s really our largest church fundraiser,” said Jim Sperelakis, the festival’s chairman. “That’s one of the major reasons that we hold it every year. Number two is that it’s a celebration of Greek culture. Thirdly, it brings together the church. When you’re all out there shoulder to shoulder, helping, being part of the same community, and doing a lot of preparation, it brings the church and parishioners. … It’s not so much just the Greek community — it’s servicing the entire community.”

Volunteers prepare all of the food together in a commercial grade kitchen in the church, often beginning work as early as May. Popular items include the gyros, which come with a tzatziki sauce, made of yogurt and cucumber. For vegetarians, dishes like falafel and grape leaves will be served. There will also be chicken and lamb meatballs, spinach pie, moussaka, and Greek salad. Baked goods and dessert items, like rice pudding, will also be prepared. There will be live Greek music by OPA Entertainment.

Sperelakis said that he is excited and nervous for the return of the festival.

“It’s kind of a little scary. We expect throngs of people,” Sperelakis said. “We expect a big crowd. … Until you actually put yourself out there and have a full festival, it’s always a little scary, how many people are going to show up.”

He added: “We made a lot of food, so we’re hoping we can sell it all. That’s one of the things that’s always uncertain, until the weekend itself.”