New Orleans Greek Fest

Attended for the first time on Fri.(May 24th 2024) and will definitely be back! The goat burger was delicious! The Baklava Sunday was so amazing I HAD to get a second one! Just got to remember to bring a chair for the music 🙂

Excellent lamb and pastries. Cannot wait to visit again next year. Thank you. Happy 50th Anniversary! ♥️

Food was expensive and not very good. The service like parking and bus pick up was great. There wasn't much going on other than food for sale. It might be better at night. We were there during the day

Always wonderful. Great food, people and music. Don't forget the official church tour.

Great Memorial Day weekend tradition. Real Greek music, food, booze, and people make this a legit party on the bayou! 🇬🇷

I💙Greek Fest! You can taste the love that goes into preparing all of the delicious food offerings! Our favorites: gyro, goat burger, and of course, those pastries!! 😋

Great Greek food,music and wonderful pastries 🍰. This year no too much traditional vendors and activities for kids.

Awesome fest with great food and music! I go almost every year.

It was an absolute treat going to Greek Fest! It's held at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral right next to the Bayou St John, so among the dancers, events, and music, you also have a fantastic view of the bayou. I tried a gyro and a baklava sundae, and it's my new favorite dessert. The combination of ice cream, nuts, cinnamon, and the flaky pastry was divine. There was music playing at almost every moment, and I got a glimpse of the performers as well (at least before I took cover from the rain). Besides all the tasty food and treats, they also had booths for t-shirts, gifts, and alcoholic drinks. It's a family friendly event too, and I'll definitely be back again next year!

I LOVE Greek Fest and I go every year. I do the race on Friday night and you get free beers, a t-shirt, and free entry for the entire weekend for the price of your race entry which ends up being a great deal. I love the food, the music and most of all the fun people that are enjoying themselves to the maximum here. This is a great family event with activities for all ages. Beer, Wine, liquor are all in abundant supply and the pastries are decadently delicious so it is definitely a must do on the festival schedule. Friday night has always been the most fun for me but I go all three days! My video review of Greek Fest is here: https://youtu.be/tYPpHEbsmhk

I really enjoyed the New Orleans Greek Festival this year and the other year I attended (I forget when that was.) The 5k has been moved to Saturday morning, but I couldn't swing it this year. Lots of runners did stay for the day afterward, sporting their medals! It was really easy to order my ticket online to skip the lines. They have parking about a half a mile away and there are shuttles that run about every 15 minutes to bring you if you don't want to walk along the bayou. Be ready for the heat. There just isn't a lot of shade in the area, and you are going to sweat. We witnessed an older lady being taken in an ambulance, so hydrate and get out the sun when you can. Upon arrival, we headed and grabbed some drinks and some of the Greek appetizers. i did not realize there was a whole gym filled with food inside, and I would have waited to order inside and get a more filling option if I had. They also had the pastries to go, a box of goodness. We bought a few Greek staples in the little indoor shopping area, and we did the cathedral tour. It was nice to learn the history, and the music was lovely. Plus, you were out of the heat for about an hour. I wish there were more frequent shows of the dancers because we couldn't do the tour and see them on our schedule. There was also a cooking demo tucked in the lobby of the church area that I didn't realize was happening. The staff and volunteers were amazing, and I was happy to tip and contribute to the church. Leaving a was a little less easy than arriving and some of my fellow festers were a bit testy, no fault to the event though. I wish I would have been able to get some more food items, but the lines and the heat just drove me to the shade I could find. I do love this festival, and I cannot wait for a future return.

The best festival with working credit card machines to boot! Don't miss the slow roasted lamb on a spit.

I love this Festival I come here every year The food is amazing The music is happy The pastries are delicious And this year 2019 you can use your credit card at the entrance and save your cash for other things Credit card accepted for the Traditional Greek Dinner And for some of the wine alcohol and beverages booth Still bring enough cash with you for other items I needed my cash to buy the pastries There are ATM machines located at the entrance for convenience Remember your PIN numbers Remember to bring your chairs and blankets for sitting Today was beautiful weather with a nice breeze If you are sun sensitive bring sunglasses hat and sunscreen maybe even an umbrella This year they had vendors at the front selling some unique pieces such as decorative hand made lamps and beautiful colored plates bowls and saucers This year they also opened earlier starting on Thursday

Definitely one of my favorite festivals. I don't think I skipped it in last 6-7 years. It is a family oriented event at a Greek Orthodox Church in Lakeview. You can buy tickets online and also at the door. I remember the days when cover was $5 per person. Now it is $8, which is still pretty good. On Sunday you can walk in free of charge if you are wearing a toga.There is plenty of food, drinks, music, dancing, performances. You can go inside the church and get a combo. They also have foods and drinks available outside. This year they started accepting credit cards, which really boosted their sales, as I talked to one of their regular volunteers. They, of course, still accept cash. ATM machines are all over the place. As this is mostly an outside event, wear comfortable shoes, bring sunglasses, sunscreen, hat etc. and have fun!

Worth braving the weather and enjoying the day. Enjoyed the calamari with the feta cheese, fries and the baklava sundaes. Enjoyed a bottle of wine and amazing grape leaves.

I love coming to the Greek festival!!! Admission is 10 dollars and all the food is fantastic! Definitely try the pomegranate tea and the baklava sundae and bring a picnic blanket or some chairs!!!!

My husband and I were in town for the weekend and timed it just right. We enjoyed the music, food and learning the history of the Greek Orthodox Cathedral

For about three years, I lived a block from this festival. The festival is usually the last weekend of May. On Friday, they have a race, so streets are blocked off. Sundays are free admission if you wear a toga. Last year, admission was $7, which I think is a bit high. Parking is a pain to say the least. I know of parking for festival go-ers with shuttles, but that is largely ignored. The food is pretty darn awesome. Baklava, strong drinks, drinks with no spirits, fries, gyros, lamb, and the whole thing. Live music, activities for kids, a tour of the cathedral. All sorts of things. So why only 3 stars? Well, the people who come are just rude. Downright unpleasant in some cases. I went two years in a row, but it's just not my bag. Too many people crowded into a space that is too small and no room to move. The festival goers here do not pay attention to what is going on, will walk right in front of you while walking, one kid looked me in the eye, deliberately poured his soda on my shoe and then ran away laughing. Classy. The only reason why there are gender neutral restrooms is because they are port-a-johns. Bring cash! The ATM fees are exorbitant, and no cards are accepted.

What is there do do at Greek Fest ? Paid 16 bucks to enter for a couple. Well: Opportunity to purchase posters t shirts and trinkets at the annual celebration of things Greek held at Hellenic centre on r e Lee Blvd. We had those from other years, so just looked. Big collection of Greek home made pastries for sale, we took home a box for family members who didn't come to Greek Fest this year, checked out the few food stalls selling Greek delicacies the most impressive of which was spit roasted lamb slow cooking... over hot coals. Seemed like fewer food choices than other years was a comment I overheard. Spent an hour on site enjoyed music with an ethnic flavour, watched some kids in ethnic costumes dancing on the little stage. Parking on the street was far and away, meant we had a nice walk through the park to and fro.

They lost me at the entire lamb roasting on a spit, but I can forgive because I think it's a good thing for people to remember that they are eating an animal (could have done without the sight of freshly skinned lambs waiting for their turn at the spit). I like the overall friendliness of everyone involved in Greek Fest, from the avuncular gent greeting you as you walk in (and bidding you adieu or however it's called in Greek, as you leave) to the many vendors and folks who are working in the Hellenic Center building. It's only 5 bucks to get in, by the way! Pretty good deal, seeing as you are privy to a range of activities, music, crafts and food. We did have to park about half a mile away, but hey, it was in a lot and it was free! Plan on doing some shopping for there's an area inside the Hellenic building where they sell everything from Kalamata olives to giant vats of good olive oil to a variety of feta to hummus and Greek pastries. I didn't get to sample the food, but there was tons of it all over and the idea of a baklava sundae is making me weep with regret right now for not having tried it. The plan for next year is to go when the sun is setting. Sounds pretty sweet to be sitting on the bayou with some vino and friends with this festival going on around you.

3.5 stars I'd say. This was our first experience with Greek Festival. I think that the $7 entry price is actually pretty ridiculous. I wish I could've used that money for a glass of wine or some baked goods instead. I understand that they have to make money..but in a city of a ton of free festivals, it's really steep. Saying that, the food was really good. I got the calamari and the feta fries. The feta was delicious. The boyfriend got the goat burger. I think he liked it. He said he wished there was the feta on it. We also split beignets that had the most delicious honey and cinnamon sauce on them. We tried the ouzo...not a fan, but that's personal preference I guess. The grocery was nice. I love cooking so I bough up some Greek spices and some cheese stuffed dates (one of my all time favorite food combos). They only had Abita Light which tastes like crappola.. So I'm glad I didn't waste any moment on that. And it was ridiculously hot out (something I know they can't control, but maybe get some of those misting fan thingies?) Not sure if we will go back next year.. We'll see.

Great food, Greek cultural performances, and live music make this one of my favorite festivals. The gyros, lamb, goat, and cheeses were delicious.

We enjoyed ourself so much. Entertainment was great, the food even better. My biggest regret in life, in this moment, is that we didn't buy a box full of whatever the pastry is I posted a pic of. It was heaven.

I enjoyed the day at Greek Fest. The church was beautiful. The food was wonderful. I had the lamb. It was amazing. The place was excellent for people watching. And boy did I see some characters.

I love this local festival. I usually ride my bike there to avoid parking hassles. I really enjoy getting some lamb and a bottle of wine, finding some shade along the bayou and taking in the scenery and music for a couple of hours. The weather is always perfect for this too it seems! There's a great market inside to pick up some Greek delights to take home. A definite "must do" every year.

This is one of those festivals that I've wanted to go to for years, but for whatever reason didn't get a chance to attend until recently. It's $5 to get in, but I hear that if you wear a toga on Sunday you can get in for free. Although I did see people in togas, I failed to confirm whether or not it's true that you don't have to pay to get in if you're in a toga. Who cares, though? I mean, how often do you have occasion to wear a toga after you graduate from college? This is possibly the first festival I've ever paid to get in to since I moved to New Orleans, so that in itself was a little weird. Plus I think we got there kind of late toward the end of the fest, so they were out of gyros and pomegranate daiquiris, therefore we were slightly disappointed from the outset. However, there are canoes for rent ($15 for two people, $18 for three), and you can buy wine ($20/bottle or $5/glass) and the feta fries I had ($3) were quite delicious. Was it worth checking out? Absolutely. Will I go again next year? We'll see. The jury's still out on on that one.

I love Greek Festival. Ouzo jello shots, pomegranite daiquiris, baklava sundae.... mmm. Of course, it's not all food. They have dancing, canoe rentals, a whole kids' area with bouncy castles, and more. Tip: Every year, they have a "get in free if you wear a toga" Sunday for the final day of the festival. Better Tip: Unless you are actually planning to wear a toga and save your $5 admission fee, don't go on Sunday. Usually we go on Friday or Saturday night. However, this year, we had to go on Sunday because of prior commitments. The pastry express shops were completely sold out of the convenient pre-packaged boxes of baklava, so I had to go wait in line for 20 minutes in the regular pastry line. Also, no ouzo jello shots anywhere. Boo. In short, Greek Festival is awesome, but get there well before the final hours of the festival if you want to enjoy everything.

One of my favorite local festivals. Not too large, but draws a crowd. Any chance to drink Ouzo I'm in! Parking can be difficult, but it's New Orleans, we are used to that. There is an admittance charge of 5$, but if you wear a TOGA on Sunday you get in Free!!! The eats are pretty legit. Baklava, baklava sundae, lamb, gyros, feta fries, fried calamari, sno-balls, beer, wine, daiquiris...get where I am going with this? Good stuff! Located off of Robert E. Lee on Bayou St. John, Greek Festival is a fantastic 3 day event that should be enjoyed!

I always look forward to Greek Fest! I highly recommend hitting it on Friday night because it's always on Memorial Day weekend, which means it's either ass hot or monsoon style rain...Friday is great because there is usually a little breeze once the sun goes does down and you can enjoy checking out the jewelry, clothes and other vendors. Stuff is overpriced, but you know that comes with festival territory - we all have bills to pay. Now for the good stuff. The food! This is the whole reason I go. The rest of the festival could be canceled and I would be sad for a minute. I enjoy the festival in it's entirety as the Greek culture is wonderful and the people are warm, but I'm all about eating the Greek plate. For $12 you get a little bit of everything and a vegetarian option is also available. There is also a long like for the bakery which has every Grecian dessert your little heart desires. Don't want the Mediterranean delight to end? No problem, there is a market section where you can buy olives, spices, cheese by the pound, hummus and other perfectly packed Greek delicacies to enjoy at home. If the weather is nice and you're not lazy (or with someone who will do all the work). Consider taking a canoe ride on the bayou. It's a good time and gives you a break from the crowd. Parking can be an issue, but there is a free shuttle if you park in designated lots, which is nice. Just stay off the neutral ground and don't block driveways and you'll be fine. The meter maids or parking demons make their way all around the area, so heed my warning or be greeted by a bright orange envelope on your windshield. Opa! It's a good time.........see you there!

I do not believe in paying to enter a festival. However, I get that this was in a building that may have incurred a rental fee or something of the like. Maybe I'm cheap, but, it is not my thing. They did have interesting chats in the church and a food demonstration, those were interesting. There was also a little bazaar where you could purchase greek groceries and some plants, even. Outside were the vendors - many of the same types of things. I will not return. I am happy i have attended, but once was enough. It's hot, outside, and I was not impressed with the music. But, again, that was just my experience. Many other people seem to have enjoyed themselves.

Now this is the festival that I look forward to most. Even before their banners adorn the light poles of Robert E Lee Blvd, I'm counting the days until I can indulge for an entire weekend on lamb and ouzo and baklava. This is a festival that benefits the Hellenic Cultural Center, so your five dollars for admission is going to a good cause (and that five dollars puts you in a raffle for $1000 - not bad (though the raffle used to be for a cruise in the Mediterranean (I've never known anyone who actually won the raffle after years of going to the Greek Fest, and it's been an inside joke amongst my friends that your last name must end in -oulos in order to win))). That five bucks gives you access to a wonderful celebration of Greek culture. My only caveat is don't wait until late Sunday to attend as it's a very real possibility that food and wine will be sold out. Granted, the festival is held Memorial Day weekend; and people prefer to go late in the day to avoid the oppressive heat; but, again, if you wait until late Sunday, you risk missing out on some great eats. But if you're like a lot of the Greek Fest goers, you've already gone Friday and Saturday nights and have had your fair share of the food available. It's a fun weekend that trades the clear blue seas of the Hellenic Coast for the bayou of Louisiana and sun-bleached homes of Greece for Lakeview manors. Yell 'Opa!' all weekend and then count the days until next year.

Greek Fest is one of my favorite things about Memorial Day Weekend. My ancestors may have been Sicilian but I LOVE Greek food. Give me some feta fries and ouzo and I'm a happy man. I did notice this year the daiquiri cups were smaller than last year. We keep the cups for use around the house and it looks like portions on the daiquiri have shrunk. Oh well, the portions on the calamari haven't. Opa! As I said in my review last year, the best time to visit is Friday evening. It cools down a bit after the sun sets and the food is fresh and plentiful. Once again I found myself out with a bunch of coworkers and my lovely lady. This time we brought a blanket; if you don't want to sit on the grass it's a good option.

OPPPPPAAA Perfect company, perfect weather, and amazing food as always

We make the Greek festival on a fairly regular basis. Nearby parking can be a pain, but for the last couple of years, they have had a free shuttle service from a lot that is a short hike from the grounds. It's close enough you can walk back if you want, but we are quite happy using it. We bought the Greek dinner and timed it so we could watch the dancers while enjoying our meal. We wandered through the Greek market and then caught the slide show of the church and congregation. After listening to some Greek music, we bought a small box of Greek desserts to being home. A very enjoyable afternoon with perfect weather for a festival.

We had a blast! My two daughters (11 and 19mth) sauntered in around 6pm Saturday afternoon. My oldest (she's technically my step-daughter and spends most of her time in Arkansas, bless her heart) had never had any experience with Greek food, culture, etc. and was in total awe of the whole thing. I had family that lives in Greece, and am fairly familiar with all things Greek...except Greek beignets. OMG. Fried balls of doughy goodness swimming in a honey like sauce, covered in cinnamon. I usually HATE cinnamon, but I literally ate so many I made myself sick. They are THAT GOOD! Anywho, the band was fun. It was hilarious watching all the drunken non-Greeks try to dance. They had a lady doing some sweet body painting on the kids (I even saw older people getting painted, she had mad painting skills) My oldest got a bad ass iguana painted down her leg. She did really cute face painting on the little ones too. It was pretty cheap, like 6 dollars or something. I mentioned the Greek beignets earlier, but the other food was fantasic. We shared a bit of everything. The chicken souvaki was fantasic, the calamari was also very yummy. Bottles of wine are available (I think Jess gets more specific about that in her review but I didn't drink any so I don't know the deets). I had the ouzo and pomegranate daiquiris. They were pretty weak, or at least for what I'm used to. The Ouzo I had hoped would taste better (like Ouzo) but it was kinda watered down tasting. The pomegranate was very flavorful. The ouzo jello shots sucked too. Or maybe I'm just a heavy handed bartender... My baby girl was dazzled and fascinated with the Hellenic dancers. I thought they were pretty cool too. They put on shows periodically throughout the day, inside, in the AC. They also had all sorts of bouncing thingys for the kiddos. They had one for little bitty kids, and a different one for the bigger ones. That was cool. I remember when I was little and I was bouncing in one of those things, and some real big kid came up bouncing beside me, and damn near caused me to break some bones I flew up so high. I think this is just more if a family/kid friendly fest. There were strollers EVERYWHERE. I had no trouble navigating around in our big ass stroller. Im not sure they want people to get shit hammered drunk on ouzo (yeah, Im still talking about that). It wouldn't be such a stroller friendly place if they did. And, I suppose that's to be expected at a church fest. All in all, a good time was had by all, and can't wait for next year. Kids under 12 are free and you DO get in free for wearing a toga on Sunday. Adults are $5 otherwise. It's for a great cause, so whatev's...I payed over a hundred for me, the hubs, and the baby to go to Jazzfest (first time I've ever payed to get in JF,but that's another story).

The fact that I was encouraged to wear a toga with the promise of free admission is enough to win my heart forever. The food was wonderful. The calamari was some of the best I've ever eaten. The gyros and lamb were wonderful. My only complaint was the lack of beet selection. I mean, they didn't even have Greek beer, for christ's sake. It was a little too crowded for the space allotted to it, and I kept having middle aged women snap pictures of me because I was wrapped in a fitted bed sheet, but all in all it's we'll worth your time and money. Can't wait for next year!

It is wonderful and cool this afternoon. The Greek salad is great and the lamb is to die for

What a great experience! This place is full of life! Everywhere you turn you see people dancing and celebrating while authentic Greek music plays. The food is fantastic, my personal favorite is the goat burger or lamb. Get a designated driver, A group of friends and family and and enjoy a few drinks and eats.