The Greek Orthodox Parish of Hunterdon County (a non-profit organization) will host its fourth annual food and cultural festival, “OPA! BIG “FAT” GREEK FESTIVAL, A Taste of Greece in Hunterdon County”, at Razberry’s Banquet and Conference Center on Route 12 in Flemington on Saturday, May 3rd (12 pm- 10 pm) and Sunday, May 4th (12 pm- 8 pm). The two day event promises food and fun for the entire family. Commenting on the Parish’s primary fundraising event The Very Reverend Archimandrite George Nikas said, “We would like to thank the local community for their continued support and patronage over the past three years. Each year, the success of this event brings us closer to realizing our dream of building a Byzantine style Church in Hunterdon County.”

Festival chairman, Sean Diver added, “We are happy to once again offer a taste of Greece in the Hunterdon County area. Now in its fourth year, we are working hard to ensure that our festival continues to be one of the premiere cultural events celebrating ethnicity in this area of the state.” The event is open to the public and admission and parking are free.

Area resident Deno Orginos, owner of Razberry’s Banquet and Conference Center on Route 12 in Flemington has once again, generously offered his site as
the location for the fourth year of the festival. Razberry’s is conveniently located just minutes from the Flemington Circle and features Mediterranean style grounds. Also, this community-wide effort includes the support of several other local businesses who have offered to assist the parish.

John Kaldes, Parish Council President and author of Made in Greece: A Guided Tour of Greek Cooking (Publishing Works, 2004) will oversee the menu which features delicious, traditional Greek cuisine including pasticcio (pasta and meat casserole), moussaka (eggplant casserole), spanakopita (spinach and cheese pie), souvlaki (pork or chicken kebobs) and roasted lamb. Mr. Kaldes has a passion for preparing and sharing his authentic Greek cuisine with others and this prompted him to get involved in his parish festival to bring a taste of Greece to Hunterdon County. “If you have never tried Greek food, this will be a great opportunity to sample traditional Greek fare,” said Kaldes. Mr. Kaldes’ book will be available for sale at the festival with all proceeds benefiting the parish.

George Staikos, noted sommelier and wine educator will select a variety of Greek wines representing the different regions of Greece which will be paired to especially enhance the dishes served at the festival (including Boutari and Achaia Clauss among others). Plans are underway to offer a Greek wine tasting during the weekend, making this event a destination for both food and wine enthusiasts alike.

For those with a sweet tooth, the festival’s “Kafenio OPA” (coffee and dessert center) will offer a tempting variety of traditional Greek pastries and Greek coffees. Top off a great lunch or dinner with one of the delectable desserts including baklava (honey nut strudel), koulourakia (butter cookies), kourabiedes (almond shortbread cookies) and loukoumades (honey covered doughnuts).

Along with the culinary attractions, cultural entertainment and exhibits will give guests the impression that they are in a Greek “taverna.” Continuous Greek music and scheduled folk dance performances will add to the ambiance. The parish youth dancers (ages 5-17), are led by former and current members of the Hellenic Dancers of New Jersey (a semi-professional dance troupe affiliated with the NJ State Council of the Arts). The group will wear authentic costumes and perform traditional dances representing various regions of Greece. Plans are underway to have visiting dance troupes perform to offer dance lessons and a Greek Folk Dance contest during the weekened.

Not only will patrons be able to experience Greek culture and cuisine at the festival, but they may also have a chance to visit Greece for themselves! Festival organizers announced a raffle of two round-trip, economy class airline tickets to Greece (NYC-Athens-NYC) sponsored by Olympic Airlines, the airline of Greece.* The raffle tickets will be sold for $25 each at the festival and the winning raffle ticket will be drawn on Sunday, at 7:30pm. (winner need not be present to win). Only 200 tickets will be sold. *Please note, some exclusions apply with regard to travel times and the winner is responsible for taxes and government fees. See raffle tickets for full details on exclusions. (Raffle license #06-29). Proceeds from this raffle will benefit the Parish Building Fund.

Ebru Broadcasting Television will film the OPA! Big, Fat Greek Festival on Saturday, May 3rd as part of their World In America program. World In America is a new series that explores the challenges and contributions of people who emigrated to the U.S. Each weekly episode highlights a different ethnic community. Members of the parish, along with selected festival patrons, will be interviewed about their Greek heritage.

Renowned artist and local Readington, NJ resident, Stefanos Sideris, plans to once again generously donate an original oil painting to be auctioned at the festival. Mr. Sideris' work has been exhibited in Florence, Italy, and Athens, Greece and in Pennsylvania, New York, Florida, Texas, Connecticut, Illinois, and New Jersey. A Silent Auction for a 40” x 30” framed, original oil painting, valued at $8,000, will be held through Sunday evening. (Pictured is the actual painting which will be auctioned). Minimum bid is $3,500. Advance bids are currently being accepted via email by contacting Festival Chairman, Sean Diver, at sjdiver@verizon.net with your bid and providing your name and phone number (all names and bids will be kept anonymous). All bids will be verified, accepted or rejected based on price and then bidders will be assigned a bid number. The auction ends at 7:30pm on Sunday, May 4th. Bidders will be contacted in the event that their bid is the highest and winning bid.

In our AGORA Marketplace, various vendors will offer a selection of fine and costume jewelry, hand-crafted items and imported Greek specialties. “Mati Jewelry,” “Crosses Plus” and “Taste of Crete” are among some of our past vendors. Religious displays and exhibits will also feature Byzantine style icons and educational materials about the Orthodox faith.

The “Acropolis Kid’s Zone”, will offer fun, hands-on learning activities to introduce children to Greek culture. During the “BOUZOUKI BONANZA” hour, children will learn about the Greek musical instrument the bouzouki and create their own model bouzouki to take home. “GREEK ALPHABET BINGO” games will be played during the festival to expose children to the Greek alphabet in a fun, interactive way. Children can also have their picture taken at the “HERCULES PHOTO BOOTH” and create their own, unique picture frame. Plans are also underway to offer additional children’s crafts, rides and amusements.

For more information and directions to the OPA! Big “Fat” Greek Festival, please visit www.gochurch.org. or call the Parish Office at 908-782-9741.

Additional inquiries from the press may be directed to Eva Kubu, Festival Publicity Chair via email at evangelinek@patmedia.net or by calling Ms. Kubu at 908-202-0662.

A special Big Fat OPA! thanks to our 2008 Sponsors