San Jose Greek Festival

We were there for the food and we were not disappointed

A must-visit Bay Area event! The 2025 San Jose Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church was absolutely fantastic. The food, the music, the people—everything was top-notch. The standout this year was the new Saganaki stand. Watching the flaming cheese get torched while everyone shouted “OPA!” was so much fun—and it tasted amazing. Even better were the pita dips that came with it: spicy feta, eggplant, and hummus. They were all delicious, though they sadly ran out by Sunday. Fortunately, there was plenty of excellent tzatziki to go around (creamy, garlicky, and cold—perfect). Inside the church’s basketball arena, we enjoyed a full meal at YiaYia’s Kitchen. The lamb shank with orzo was tender and flavorful, and the Pastitsio and stuffed vegetables were homemade perfection. Everything was served hot, fast, and with a smile—even during peak hours. What makes this festival truly special is the volunteers. Everyone—from the kitchen team to the youngsters helping bus tables—was friendly, helpful, and clearly proud to be part of the event. It’s that welcoming atmosphere that keeps us coming back year after year. Even in the 100 degree heat on Saturday! Great food, good vibes, and a cultural experience that’s as authentic as it is fun. Highly recommend this festival for anyone in the San Jose or Bay Area region. We’ll definitely be back in 2026! #OPA #GreekFestival #SanJoseEats #FamilyFriendlyEvent

4.5 but rounding up. Went on a Sunday afternoon so it was definitely popping and as many people have mentioned, a wide variety of foods to check out. I genuinely appreciate the different vendors pointing me in the right direction to get the best wine for my tastes! I ended up getting a rose which was absolutely divine considering the heat that we went it. My moussaka and stuffed pepper were lovely, along side the crispy spanakopita. The lady singing was definitely enjoying what she was doing. The donut things were pretty tasty as well!

2025: the best lamb (chops) I’ve had at any Greek festival. Also, the bouzouki player was BRILLIANT

Amazing food everything A+

Atmosphere was amazing! Delicious authentic Greek food, wine, folklore music and dances. Will be coming back!

Small but mighty festival !!! We enjoyed the food. The atmosphere was warm and friendly Greek dancing was fun !!

We haven't been able to go for a couple years, but this year was the best we've been to. Lots of food...pace yourself. Several booths with various types of items...clothing, jewelry, art, soap, oil, etc. My husband didn't find Greek fisherman's hats. He always gets a new one. Music and dancing...and don't forget the moist wipes...all the desserts are drenched in sticky honey...yum.

Overall good experience, nice place, many shops, food wasn't too bad. Wish there were more options though, many of the stands were selling the exact same things, especially pastries. The galaktoboureko pastry I tried was very good though, one of the best pastries I've had. The other food was pretty mid, kinda lacking in flavor, and a little overpriced, but that was expected. The vibe was nice, plenty of dancing and music. Would probably come again, maybe try something different this time.

Greek Flavor and Hospitality Done Right The 2025 San Jose Greek Festival at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church once again proves why it's one of the Bay Area's most anticipated annual events. This isn't just a church fundraiser--it's a cultural celebration packed with unforgettable food, warm hospitality, and a sense of joyful community you can't fake. Let's talk about the food, which was firing on all cylinders this year. YiaYia's Kitchen, located inside the church's basketball arena, brought a full-court press of Greek comfort food. The lamb shank with orzo was fall-off-the-bone fantastic, the Pastitsio and Mousaka hit every creamy, cinnamon-laced note, and the vegetarian stuffed tomatoes and bell peppers were fragrant, filling, and a welcome lighter option. Whether you dined solo or at a communal table, there was no shortage of generous portions and smiling faces. And, of course, FABULOUS DESERTS! But the biggest buzz this year? The new Saganaki stand--and let me just say: OPA! This was more than just flaming cheese (which was fantastic, by the way--crispy edges, gooey center, splash of lemon). What made it truly special was the assortment of pita dips served alongside. There was a spicy feta (tirokafteri), a cool eggplant melitzanosalata, and a robust hummus that balanced the richness of the cheese. The dips elevated the stand from snack stop to gourmet tasting corner. Unfortunately, by late Sunday, the dips had sold out--a testament to their popularity--but thankfully, festival organizers had enough extra tzatziki on hand to keep everyone happy. And that tzatziki deserves its own round of applause. It's been hit or miss in past years, especially on the final day--but not this year! Creamy, garlicky, and fully stocked all weekend long. It paired beautifully with everything: dolmathes, souvlaki, or just scooped up with a corner of warm pita. Service across the board was efficient and friendly, even with a few long lines. Credit goes to the army of volunteers--young and old--who make this three-day marathon hum. Whether it was someone clearing trays, pouring Greek wine in the tent, or dancing in costume for the crowd, every person seemed genuinely proud to be there. That kind of hospitality is what sets this festival apart. The best in the Bay Area! Opa! Also worth noting: desserts were excellent (get the galaktoboureko early before it disappears), the beer and wine locations were lively without being chaotic. And, the air-conditioned and shaded dining areas were a welcome addition during peak sun. Especially on Saturday, with temperatures approaching 100 degrees F. By the time the last bouzouki strummed its notes Sunday night, the festival had once again fed thousands--body and soul. If you missed it, put it on your calendar now. The weekend after Memorial Day. The San Jose Greek Festival isn't just a great event. It's an embrace from a community that knows how to cook, how to host, and how to share its culture with open arms.

Haven't been back since 2019.....and got hooked up with a $50 gift card for just being a fan. The gift card was acting boo-boo and Georgia (my plug) helped me took care of the problem. Cant wait until next year....Opa.

I have attended this festival since I was a kid and always looked forward to it. Great atmosphere, great people.

Loved the food and the family friendly atmosphere, I came as a child and saw their Instagram. My kids and spouse loved it too. There's fun stuff to do and the to go sweets are a must. Helping a community that clearly is united makes it worth it. Will look forward to 2025! OPA!

The food! The food! Come early in the day and eat one of everything. Then go back and get another one of the ones you liked. And go for the Greek coffee! They're especially wonderful when enjoyed under the dancing canopy. Mmm. I missed the tour of the church, but I will catch it next year.

Free parking, free dancing, great food, and great people. I used to come to this every year as a kid and after many years have come back to show my hubby all the fun. Admission is $5; however, if you go on their Facebook or website you can print out or screen shot the free admission ticket. There are signs for free parking and it is about a 10 minute walk from the lot to the festival or there is a free shuttle to take you to/from the lot. There are booths with paintings, olive oils, candles, soaps, jewelry, etc. There are several places to buy delicious and authentic Greek food and pastries as well. I bought some lamb and bread for about $12 with Greek beer for about $7. Both were delicious. My hubby and I also bought some yummy sweets to eat while watching people dance. Planning on coming back next year :)

This was our first visit to the Greek Festival. My cousin found a coupon online that you could just show on your phone to the admission tent for free admission. We were there for the food mainly. We bought a ton of food. The good/okay: the salad, gyros, fries, grilled lamb. The best were the loukoumades!! These little fried donuts covered in honey were so delicious. The best part was that they were freshly fried, still hot, and crispy on the outside. The dole frozen yogurt was just okay. It's from a carton they just pour into the machine. The Greek yogurt was just alright. Would've been cool to have real Greek frozen yogurt since it was so hot. The kids and teens dancing were kinda cute, but the dancing was pretty repetitive. Maybe they could have had some audience interaction. Would love to see more educational or informative stuff for people not familiar with Greek culture. Greek tourism stuff would be cool too. I'd probably return. The loukomades are calling my name.

I LOVE coming to the GREEK FESTIVAL! This has to be my 6th or 7th attending! The festival is so organized. There are usually AC shuttles that pick you up and drop you off. The vendors are always so excited about the non-Greek attendees trying the Greek Delicacies. I MUST get a Greek Salad, and Metrios Frappe everytime!! The fresh off the grill Slovakia's are AMAZING!!! The grand finale for our family has the fresh hot LOUKOMADES. We love to watch the bands and humans of all ages dancing to the traditional Greek music. All the vendors are so friendly and just so appreciative. I always leave there spending about $100 or more on food and merchandise. Mostly all merchants accept cards or cash. The Greek festival is usually always end of May or 1st weekend in June. Don't pass it up! It's one of the best events in San Jose!!!

I've been coming to this festival for the past 3-4 years now and it has become one of my favorite Greek Festivals. I usually will try to come the first night if not then the second day. I mainly come for the food but isn't that why most people go?! To get a taste of Greece and indulge in their delicious cuisine, I could probably eat Greek food everyday. I love it. This festival like many other Greek Festivals charges an entrance fee of $5 for adults and $3 for seniors but they usually have a coupon on their Facebook and IG for free admission. They have ample free parking nearby Bill's Cafe and they also have a few other free parking lots in the area as well. The parking lots are about a 10 minute walk or there is a free shuttle provided that goes to all three lots and will pick you up and drop you off at the festival. This is very convenient but they shuttles can get pretty full quickly. Now to the food, my go to dish is usually the Moussaka ($8) which unfortunately does not come with any rice or salad but there are other food options in the same tent. I also get the Spanikopita ($5) to go with it as well. The Moussaka here is cooked perfectly and it's hands down the best! No trip to this festival is complete without getting their yummy desserts too. Unfortunately they do not have my favorite Greek dessert Bougatsa but I do however make sure to get the Kourabiedes (Greek shortbread cookies) ($2 each). They are so buttery and yummy and coated in lots of powdered sugar. They do have nice entertainment here and some nice shopping as well, I do try to check it out when I have time. This is a nice festival for food, drinks, entertainment and to get a part of Greece. One of the best Greek festivals in the Bay Area!

Wonderful food options. lots of options! Lines at each food booth goes quickly. Frappe Lamb Chops Moussaka Baklava ice cream sundae desserts greek salad meat skewers lamb sampler Check facebook for free admission ticket, so glad that they offered this , which enticed me to check it out. Parking lots with free shuttles available. or you can park on the streets and walk it (closest is still 2-3 blocks away). Big tent with lots of seating available with shade, while you watch the performances, singing, dancing.

Admission is $5 but check their Facebook page for a free entrance coupon. I know they have this San Jose Greek Festival every year but its my first time to this Greek Festival. They have designed free parking lots which had plenty of parking and the walk was about 8 to 10 minutes which wasn't bad. They even have free shuttle for pick up and drop off between the festival and parking lot. I am not a big shopper so I went there or for some yummy greek food. Price was reasonable, they have a dinner plate of 3 lamb chops with sides for $18, a bottle of Greek beer for $7, not bad! If you missed it this year and you have never been, make sure you check it out next year!

We've been coming here for years. We mainly come for the food, which is outstanding! You love Greek food? Then what are you waiting for?!!! It's all good, but I'm a creature of habit. I always get the lamb chop dinner; 3 juicy chops, served with pilaf and bread. I add a Greek salad and I'm set. Dessert is usually the loukoumades; fried, crispy doughnuts smothered in honey and walnuts... Yes, there is Greek dancing and music! Join in the dancing if you're brave! There is ouzo! (Maybe drink some ouzo before dancing...) Want to shop? Lots of vendors peddling jewelry, artwork, pottery, soaps, clothing, etc. And I never leave without my personal souvenir: a box of Greek pastries and cookies! Go and support the local church, eat good food, bring your friends! Opa!

I love Greek festivals. I had a great time in San Jose. It's hard to go wrong with tasty food, pastries, live music, and a handful of performances. I liked that for this event the organizers set up several different stations, which meant there was rarely a long wait to order. I enjoyed the gyro, the stuffed grape leaves, the lamb plate, the baklava, the Greek salad, and the cold beer I tried. The only slight criticisms was that you had to pay a fee to get in, which is not the case at all Greek festivals, and that the food, while good, could have been a bit better. The gyros in particular would have benefited from being arranged to order. That said, still totally worth it. I'm already looking forward to next year's festival. Eating Greek food all day and then taking a ton of food home for the day after is too good to pass up.

I went here last year and had a blast so I'm back. Good food, music, shopping and fun. Family friendly place and lots to do. It's a good event to visit for at least 2-3 hours. You can get free admission tickets online and print them out. The best food stands are in the back in and near the auditorium. Inside the auditorium is air conditioning with plenty of seating.

June 2018. Yelp. Double. SJGF is definitely an event to visit as a resident of the Bay Area and as a Tourist. I have worked with and have Greek friends and so I needed to pay this event some attention. I am new to Greek grub and had a hard time deciding which booth and what to try. I landed on a white tent ( forgot name sry) and saw long line of hangry peeps. Good sign. Got a pair literally 2 Dolmades for 5 bucks and a bottled water( bev tent) for 2 bucks, 7 for the lucky sum. Stuffed grape leaves herb-y rice appetizer was good and filling. Water bottled and oh so water-y. All in all was a slow lemur paced event, small church, attractive Greek women pushing strollers (rawr) don't hate, dancing people on stage a really chill crowd. Glad I brought my friend here and she shared some baklava. A bit heavy on the sugar for me, do rec, but I do take it easy on sugar and fat. I wanna love forever. Cool coolest cooler. Pow pow. See you next time California Summer. 102 Go next year!

This was my first time attending this event. We live in the general area and saw signs for shuttle service, so we decided to head over there Friday evening after work. We didn't take the shuttle (took a Bird scooter) so I can't comment on the shuttle service but it is nice they offer this since there really isn't parking and it's in a neighborhood. We went to take cash out beforehand, because typically these events are cash only. We were surprised that they actually did not want cash and preferred card. We paid our entrance fee (I think $10 per person??) and walked-in. The space is pretty big - they had some jewelry and art vendors and the rest was food, baked goods, and a music/dancing area and stage. We did get the fried dessert/donuts which were delicious, but that was the only line that wasn't super long. They also had an ice cream float area, also not long. The food was long and we didn't wait. It's very nice the community does this and it's a full weekend. I believe we went on the first evening so it was probably much busier than the other days that weekend but we were a bit disappointed that the wait was so long for food. Still nice to walk around. We were hungry for actual dinner so we ended up picking up Nick the Greek later that night :)

San Jose Greek Festival was a cute event. They had live music, traditional dancing for entertainment, a tour of the orthodox church, specialty booths and lots of food & drink booths. There were a couple of rooms dedicated to historical Greek items borrowed from the Hellenic Heritage Museum which was neat to see. The volunteers were very nice. The food for sale included the traditional Gyros, lamb chops, baklava, spanikopitas and more. Some were difficult to pronounce but easy to eat. :D We tried the Melomakarona honey spiced cookie, the Kourabiethes butter cookie with powdered sugar and the Diples. All were quite good but the Diples was the best with all that honey dripping on it. While it was not big, this event was very well organized. They had the street blocked so parking wasn't directly in front of the church. To compensate they provided free parking a couple of blocks away and even a free shuttle to take you to the venue. I had a nice time and look forward to trying more Greek delectables next year.

Great event! I had never been to a Greek Festival before so this was a first for me and will definitely go to any future ones now (there's one in Belmont this September). To get into the event for free you could print a copy of the flyer or just show an image on your cell (save those tree's!). Parking was nearby with a free shuttle down to the events location. The event itself was fairly small but with so much going on. There were many stalls selling Clothes, Arts and Crafts, Souvenirs ect, dozens of food stalls and a large stage where they had live bands and dancing. Everything could be brought with 'tokens' which you would obtain from various locations around the event for $1 each which made buying stuff a little easier. The food and drink selection was very impressive and you could even see them spit roasting the meats round by the side of the stalls! Atmosphere was great with everybody enjoying themselves. The Greeks certainly know how to throw a good party!

Came today had a blast, $5 to get in and the food was excellent. I had a gyro smothered in tzatsiki sauce which was really tasty, spanakopita spinach pie and pasticcio greek lasagna also delicious. My daughter bought some jewelry at one of the many vendor booths. Only thing we missed was the band which doesn't start until 2pm.

I sampled a few things: 5/5: The surprising standout was the Greek Yogurt: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=jDARCk2NKDNZI2z2FNLSTw#J2mIKNMGntx-7lNvC4x7UA $5 for a small container. You can get it topped with honey and ground nuts. It tastes super fresh, and it's much better than any Greek Yogurt I've bought at stores. This place only sells their yogurt at the festival, or wholesale, so unfortunately, you can't buy it retail. 3/5: They serve authentic Greek Frappes: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=jDARCk2NKDNZI2z2FNLSTw#jDARCk2NKDNZI2z2FNLSTw $4. $1 extra to add chocolate. It's made with instant coffee (Nescafe). Everyone in Greece drinks these constantly. You can get it with chocolate added, and various levels of sweetness. It's worth trying once. It's OK, but not really much better than a Frappuccino. 2/5: Evvia/Kokkari has a tent that sells a lamb chop dinner. You get 3 chops for $15, plus rice and bread: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=jDARCk2NKDNZI2z2FNLSTw#meEFixMg_6w7CtlX3CqyYg salad is $5 extra. I don't recommend it. Lamb chops require a precision of timing that's not possible to achieve at a festival; the chops were about 1 minute overdone. And the rice was terrible. 2/5: The Pastitsio has ground beef, macaroni, and bechemel: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=jDARCk2NKDNZI2z2FNLSTw#df2uP-Ho00QKTDkhJW5wtw $6. I don't recommend it; it's not flavorful enough to justify the calories. I also sampled the various Greek pastries that I normally don't see. Here's the run-down: 5/5: Galatoboureko: custard topped with phyllo dough; very good, great texture, great flavor. It's hot out of the oven when they put it out. $2: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=1Sba5U4ZFPIAKWyIFdFkAA#Zo9HgFp7Pjg8eyth2V7Kgw 4/5: Diples; huge, light/airy fried rolls. Super Delicate. Very interesting. $2: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=1Sba5U4ZFPIAKWyIFdFkAA#9T2YfG6XEmK1n5NgHZQXbg 4/5: melomakarona: spice cookies. Kind of powdery. Great flavor. Probably great for dipping in coffee. 2 for $3: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=1Sba5U4ZFPIAKWyIFdFkAA#bN81Se6HTUSnO1Am72FTagfor 4/5: karethopeta: very soft/light/fluffy walnut cake with syrup. Great flavor. 2 for $3: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=1Sba5U4ZFPIAKWyIFdFkAA#ObknuEx4juzd87bybedL7A 3/5: kourambiethes: light butter cookies sprinkled with powdered sugar. Like wedding cookies. very light; very powdery texture; sort of turns to powder when you bite into it. 2 for $3: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=1Sba5U4ZFPIAKWyIFdFkAA#upyI4614DibY-JYFYB9dtg 3/5: paximathia: biscotti-looking; a little softer. Anise flavor. Probably great for dipping in coffee. 2 for $1: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=1Sba5U4ZFPIAKWyIFdFkAA#mGENERmB7hMmwBeTxk98dw 3/5: The Greek Coffee was a little weak. $2. The above pastries are either great, or at least worth trying once. The rest of this stuff I don't recommend: 2/5: koulourakia: dense butter cookies. A little too dense, not interesting. 2 for $1: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=1Sba5U4ZFPIAKWyIFdFkAA#QHhqvAIiaA2FcGxpfTI-LQ 2/5: loukoumades: small fried donuts, sprinkled with honey and chopped nuts: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=1Sba5U4ZFPIAKWyIFdFkAA#APAE-DA6F60YIlIRJWt1Cw You can also get it drizzled with chocolate. Normally, I love any kind of fried dough. But this fell flat: they have an over-cooked, hard shell. Kind of like chewing on cardboard. Not as good as an average donut hole. $5 for about 10, add $1 for the chocolate drizzle. 1/5: kataifi: very mushy, heavily soaked phyllo threads. $2: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=7uwvo-_kcpeP9sgzVs6pnA#7uwvo-_kcpeP9sgzVs6pnA 1/5: gianiotiko: kataifi, wrapped with a layer of phyllo. Too mushy inside. $2: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/san-jose-greek-festival-san-jose?select=1Sba5U4ZFPIAKWyIFdFkAA#v4MVcyxXaSx5qy-oyQnCpQ If you get either the paximathia (looks like biscotti), or the melomakarona (the oval cookie topped with nuts), then definitely get some coffee to dip them in. Logistics: - Go to the website, and print out a coupon for free entrance. - You buy tokens, then use the tokens to buy food. Any tokens you don't use can be exchanged back into cash (but double check on that if you plan to use that feature) - If you go early, just before they open, you can probably find on-street parking, rather than dealing with the parking shuttle hassle. - Some of the pastry items didn't come out until 11:45. - For the performances, grab a seat in the shade early.

I was honestly SO impressed by this festival. The only negative was the tokens to get food/drinks. There was a HUGE line at the entrance for buying tokens, and we waited in it only to realize that in the middle of the festival there was another token booth... with no line of course. Would have been nice if they mentioned it, but it wasn't a huge deal. The food was AMAZING. Really good, authentic and unique greek food. I was a huge fan and I will definitely be back next year.

It's ok. Get there early so you don't have to park too far and it's not too hot. The food wasn't as good this year, I don't know if our tastes have changed or as it's gotten bigger and the food just isn't as good, but we were sort of meh about the whole food experience. The dancing and entertainment didn't start until one and given it was 90° we didn't want to stick around for it. We didn't realize there was permitted parking so we parked where the permitted people were supposed to, sorry neighbors. Even though it's only one weekend a year, it's a weekend to be terribly inconvenienced. I don't know that will be back. We've gone sporadically over the last 12 years, I think we've probably seen all there is to see. No more tokens, cash or one square is accepted. Print tickets off the website, but even without I think entrance is free.

Amazing amazing amazing. I missed the festival last year, but I am so happy to have made it this year. FB was giving out free tickets so I said hey, why not. There are parking lots in the surrounding area with charter busses to take you to the festival. These are not your normal busses. These were decked out with ac, cool blue lights, and comfortable seats. The festival is $5 to get in itself if yo do not have the coupon. Let me just be clear.... All the food here is made by moms and grandmas with home recipes. Holy cow.... everything was so delicious. I ate soooo much. The skewers, donuts, yogurt, lamb chops, fries..... I love that they had live music and vendors of all sorts. I am sadden that the food is not served elsewhere. I will be on the look out for these greek donuts!!!!! if anyone knows where to get them, you better not be holding out!

Went to SJ Greek Festival Fri 5/29/15. You can't park close to the church, they block of the streets for workers of the festival and residents. There is plenty of free parking on W. Hedding St and The Alameda, or you can take the FREE shuttle that is on their website. I had FREE pass from when I went to Souvlaki in SJ so I didn't have to pay the entrance fee of $5. Seniors/students $3. Get tokens after the entrance, but if line is really line there is another booth by the large food booth more on the Right and another token booth by the Stage. Food I got: Athenian salad $5 - tomatoes, bell pepper, feta cheese, some olives, red onions. I liked it. In a small bowl. 2 Dolmathes for $3 - ground beef & herbs wrapped in grape leaves & topped w/ lemon sauce. Both were still warm and full of meat. I liked. Lamb chop dinner 3 chops $15 - comes with rice and slice of bread and slice of lemon. One of my lamb chop was really burnt, but the other 2 were pretty good. Galatoboureko $3 - Greek custard dessert. It's small square, I liked it, one of my favorite thing to get there. Sugar cookie $2 - like a Mexican wedding cookie. Wasn't very melty or delicious, i still ate it. Frappe $4 - Greek coffee, just ok, looks like from a mix with 2 small ice. I took a picture of the Loukoumades Small $5/Large $8 - lady said they were really good, I asked permission to take a pic. I stayed a bit to see Mythos play and some people did Greek line-dancing. On the weekend, but not Fri they have a Church Tour - would like to see that one day. Bring lots of Money!! Cash is easier. I did see one ATM machine.

Spent a couple of hours here on Saturday It was a fun experience The veg food options were very limited but we enjoyed the Greek salad and Veg Gyros Very nice Greek music and dancing The dessert stalls were very busy :)

One of the best summer festivals in the Bay Area! The lines are super huge if you come during lunch and dinner times, try to come before or after the dinner/lunch time to avoid the rush... When you arrive make sure to purchase tokens at the booth before standing in line to purchase foods and baked goods. They do not take cash at the food booths. You can't go wrong with the lamb, fresh baked Greek deserts, wraps, felafel topped off with live Greek music bands and dancing. They have vendors and jewelry booths with artsy stuff.

OPA ! i had so much fun ! This was my first time here at the Greek Festival. Its not to big and so much food to choose from. I brought my dad here on a Sunday and he had a blast. The music and dancing entertainment was fantastic. We meet my daughter here and other frineds. I just Love the Greek culture. We watched the music under the shade. We also ate a greek salad alittle pastry. Walked around around and looked at all the different artist from painting to jewelry and ceramics.

This event was OK except for the Raspberry-Pomegranate Sorbet vendor. Since it was HOT AS HADES, I was looking forward to a refreshing sorbet as advertised. I purchased two for $10.00 (not in expensive) for my son and I. Although they were very good and refreshing I was dismayed to find out that they had been served in such a way that the centers were hollow. It must take a lot of practice (in the art of deception) to be able to serve these items in such a dishonest fashion. I find it ironic that the proceeds were supposed to benefit a church.

Came here on Saturday night with my lady, my friend and his lady and quickly found out that the Four Tet show being cancelled wasn't such a bad thing. Originally, we were supposed to just spend an hour at the Festival and then head to the City for the Four Tet show, but homeboy cancelled, so we got to spend a little more time here. We came in, walked around checked out what was going on since we've never gone to one of these things. Then we came to the conclusion that we needed food and we needed food badly. We got 25 dollars worth of tokens and hopped in the longest line to the Gyros. The line moved quickly as the process was quite efficient with the adults taking orders and tokens as kids fetched the food. The lady and I ordered two gyros, an order of calamari, and a greek salad. Every item was delicious. After letting the food settle for a bit, I found the ATM to get more cash for more tokens for desert. We got a small order of loukomades (sp?), some baklava, and some sort of cookie topped with powdered sugar. All were unbelievable, especially the loukomadeds (sp? again). I ended up buying a box of the mix for those bad boys. Hopefully they'll turn out just as good. Finding street parking can be troublesome. Next time, we'll probably take the shuttle and hopefully a bigger stomach :P

Gorgeous sunny weather. Free admission tickets. A rumbly in my tumbly. Promises of Greek food galore? Come on... this was a no-brainer. -Gyro- $6 I've had my share of amazing gyros, so this was a disappointment. It was already pre-made (to streamline the ordering process, I assume) and hastily slapped together. The meat was a dingy gray shade and was lukewarm. Pretty average tasting. -Loukaniko- $5 Pre-made as well, and also looked hastily slapped together. You would think that since they're saving time pre-wrapping the sandwiches that they would make it look a bit more appetizing. Sausage was dry and a bit chewy. On a brighter note, the pita was good. LOL -Lamb Platter- $8 A friend ordered this. I sampled a bit of his lamb, and wasn't wowed. Just tasted like regular meat, not much flavor or spices. It came with fries and bread. -Loukoumades- $3 We were drawn in by the smell of frying dough. Smothered in honey and cinnamon, it was good... but SUPER sweet... I ordered a small size and couldn't finish the whole thing since the BF tried a few and wussied out on me, leaving me to finish the rest. My friend ordered the chocolate version for a $1 more and was expecting them to be dunked or fully coated in chocolate, so it was pretty amusing to see them just spoon some chocolate syrup over it. -Root Beer Float- $3 I bought this right before we left, only because I had 3 tokens left and didn't know that you could cash in your unused tokens. LOL... Not worth $3 bucks, that's for sure. It was mostly foam from the soda, and once that fizzled down, there was hardly anything to sip. I should've just bought some baklava! This was my first time coming to the SJ Greek Festival. I didn't purchase anything from the little tents and stands but I did enjoy browsing. Unfortunately the food didn't really do it for me as I came expecting to be WOWED since it was a Greek festival and the food should be authentic. Everything seemed to be just mass-produced, pre-wrapped, pre-poured (yes even the sodas ($2) were pre-poured). I'm glad that we saved $5 dollars by printing out the free admission tickets beforehand... (that's $5 we could each be spending on more FOOD!) Taste of food was between 2-3 stars... I'll still give it 4 stars for the cultural experience and lovely sights and sounds that is the GREEK culture. The BF and I were stuffed spending $20 between us two. I was rubbing my big fat Greek stomach all the way back to the car. =]

Hint: print of pull up the flier on your phone to save $5 on entrance! Also, you have to exchange your money for tokens to pay for stuff - they will refund you the tokens that you don't use. I pretty much came here to eat and eating is what I did. The lines get pretty long during meal times (we went during dinner) and all the tables are usually taken. I got the loukaniko which is a greek sausage in a pita bread and it was really good! I would totally recommend and get it again! I also got the tiganites patates which is pretty much fries with herbs. They were okay. Just tasted like fries. We also got pretty much all the desserts and shared them all. They were all really good! I am now a fan of greek desserts! Overall, the festival was kind of small, there was a lot of people, but the food was really good so I was happy because that's what I came for.

This was my second year attending the Greek festival, and I was not disappointed. This year, they added more dining space in their newly remodeled gym, allowing people some cover when it got windy or too hot outside. I went on both days during the weekend because I usually don't get Greek food, and it was nice to have it with so much festivities. I don't know why they make you do a whole currency exchange thing and make you exchange your money for tokens.... they'll take cash too, I guess they just don't want to mess with the change. I ended up forgetting a few tokens in my purse... and will have to hold on to them 'til next year. Here's what I ordered: Calamari $6. It was a FAT calamari! Gyro $4. Too lamby for me. Greek Sausage $4. I loved it with the tzaziki. Tzaziki side $2. I had it both days. Delicious with bread, meat, by itself, whatever! Orzo side $2. Salty, but probably because I asked them to drown my orzo with the chicken sauce Baked Chicken $4. Very flavorful and juicy! Ask for more sauce and dip your bread in it! Stuffed Tomato $6. A little on the expensive side, and I could have had one more chicken instead of the tomato, but now I know. Dolmathes $2 for 2. Better on the first day, but I like how they make it with ground beef. Greek Coffee $2. Overpriced and not that great. Well, I also ruined it when I put too much sugar inside. And then I decided that I wanted it iced so I asked for a cup of ice and made my Greek coffee over rocks. I think I got some unsatisfied Greek people eyeing me for messing up their coffee. I guess my experience this year wasn't as exciting as my first time, but it's worth it to go for the food and music. Just make sure you find a coupon for free admission on their web site!

Really small festival grounds so you can visit all the booths in ~30 minutes. Got the: - Gyros Sandwich ($7)-- excellent - Greek Coffee ($3)-- I got the one with the most amount of sugar. surprisingly the taste of the coffee was not strong, but subtle enough to keep you up and about ! yummy ! - Fried Potatoes aka French Fries ($2)-- thin and crunchy! but the ketchup packets they provide tasted kind of peculiar.... - Baklava Ice Cream Sundae ($5)--a bit too sweet and expensive for my taste ! Entertainment: - the Traditional Greek Dance Performances-- It was worth the wait! It's not too long but definitely fun and entertaining! - the live Greek Band- loved the beat - Dance Grounds-- the dance grounds are available throughout the festivities. The live Greek band plays the music and there are always lively elderly folk who incite the rage to get up and dance !! They're nice enough to even show you the moves. and it looks easy enough! Miscellaneous: - Garage Sales-- several houses located within the festivity grounds opportunistically held garage sales. They have some cool knick knacks that they are selling really cheap! I suggest you check them out on the way back to the parking lot. Best of all? Free admission with the Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/SJGREEKFESTIVAL

Came here last Friday with a friend of mine to check out the Greek festival. Wow, there were a wide variety of food, from gyro to grilled lamb to Greek salad to Baklava to Loukoumades. I was IMPRESSED! Apparently, this was their 39th year of putting this festival together so they must had a lot of experience. It was very profession,and at the same time, it was very "community" oriented. It was my first time trying Loukoumades (Greek Dessert), and I was amazed, despite the high sugar content. It was like a doughnut hole w/o the glaze. The strange thing was once you bite inside one of the Loukoumades, honey syrup spills into your mouth. The outside was dry. There were also vendors onsite, and we were fortunate to have Kokkar (Restaurant in SF)!!!! Boy was I happy to see them! Even though I am not a fan of lamb, you MUST MUST try the grilled lamp chop! The meat is SOOO tender and juicy! Delish! Until next year! Tip: Go on their website, and print out admission ticket for free; otherwise, you would pay $5/head Yum!!! Can't wait to drop by next year!

Stumbled upon this fest in the local newspaper one fine weekend, and decided to make an impromptu trip to it. Loved the various food options, the dolma and spanakopita were on point and so was this stuffed bell pepper dish. Some nice performances as well. Hot as hell though.

We had a nice visit to the San Jose Greek Festival this past weekend. As we drove into the area, there were signs for parking and the shuttle. The parking was easy to find and the shuttles came pretty frequently. We printed out tickets for free admission from their web site. All the food was paid through tokens. We ended up purchasing a few food items and drinks to share. We ordered a Lamb Sampler, Souvlakia and a side of Tzaziki to share. The Lamb sampler was pretty good and only a little bit gamey. The Souvlakia was very dry and was so so. The Tzaziki was tasty.

2nd year attending and just as great. This year, I visited on Sunday vs. Saturday night and it was still packed. The shuttle service is still great and the food is beyond yummtastic. Everyone who works there is so friendly and you can't be the AC in the dining hall. It was a hot one and I was quite thankful to be able to grab a table inside. *You have to try the roasted chicken and orzo pasta in the dining hall. Absolutely delicious. Also, another HUGE bonus. They YUMMTASTIC Greek Doughnuts are served in Splenda form for the diabetic. THAT is great customer service and came in handy for my mom. Thank you again Greek Festival!

Sadly, a let down from previously good experiences the past 3 years. Tonight, we got two orders of pastitsio ($6 each) and a chicken riganti (small breast and wing $6) in the dining room - and they were all dry. Very odd! Then we got our beloved loukoumathes ($8 for the large order) and these were ALSO dry! What the heck? Usually they're soaking in honey, with a ton extra in the container too. Not this time. So I picked up a galaktoboureko ($3) to take home... and sadly it too was dry. I am so baffled. If this had been our first time here, I wouldn't be eager to return. I'm really hoping this was just an off year.

I'm glad this festival was posted on Yelp as an event, otherwise I would have never found out about this wonderful Festival! Admission is free if you show them an image of the flyer on your phone, which was dandy. There are signs to point you to the parking lots, then there are free shuttles to take you to the event. There are several booths selling Greek souvenirs, shirts and various items. Then there are some booths for kids activities like leather-working or face painting. There is also (while I was there) a live band playing Greek music and then some dance lessons. But the real reason to go is for the lovely Greek food! Lamb & Dessert heaven! Lamb options: Gyros, Souvlaki, Sampler, Shank, Moussaka, Chops(from Evvia/Kokkari even!) Dessert Options:Root Beer Float, Baklava Sundae, Greek Yogurt, Loukoumades, Diples,Karethopeta, Kourabiethes, Melomakarona, Galataboureko, Baklava The Galataboureko is a must for those who love custard desserts. And this ain't no dry event! Greek Beer & Wine Galore! I don't even feel guilty eating myself past comfort because I know my proceeds are going to help out a church. Eating too much is just my way of contributing! I had a great time. The people there were super friendly.(One guy even bought me a beer and a Galataboureko)

Regrets...I've had a few But then again, did try lamb sampler I did see the shank and chops!! (but only *after* eating sampler :( ) I planned each yummy course, each careful step along the white tents And beer, and much more beer...will have chops next year

I was determined to try that spicy Greek sausage that eluded me at last years festival, and I am happy to report: Mission accomplished! Pretty tasty sausage served in a pita bread, but definitely not spicy. I would have totally preferred the gyro instead, but still pretty good. I had the little fried balls covered in nuts, honey, cinnamon and chocolate (loukoumades) once again and they were just as good as I remembered. I do not know how people are able to order a large take-out box since a small is enough for 2 people. This is probably one of my favorite festivals now that I have figured it out. Avoid going at lunch or dinner times since it gets pretty packed and the lines get long. Also, try to go either Friday or Saturday since the food seems to be the freshest then, and on Sundays, you run the risk of items being sold out. If you don't use all of your tokens, you can exchange them for a refund which is also really nice since you aren't forced to buy stuff that you don't want. Also, you should eat in the dining area since it is totally air-conditioned but beware of old men who want to tell you about their double phd's.

I was a bit bummed they charged an entrance fee and the whole token thing was both confusing and inconvenient. We bought tokens expecting that they were required to purchase food but the stands we purchased from took cash as well. The festival was a lot larger than it looked upon first walking in with various vendors spread throughout the church yard. There were a few different seating areas and live music. No porto potties! They allowed access to the church bathrooms which were well maintained. Food options were good and they even had a large Evvia stand with their signature lamb chops.

Had fun here today, but it was really hot. Hot weather with myself= no bueno. No parking at the church, but there's a shuttle to get there and street parking. Heard greek music walking there and got more excited haha. A $5 entrance fee is not bad, but $5 will get you 5 tokens and you can get a plate of food with that. Just not lamb chop. So much better than the irish festival! They only had 2 food vendors and 4 or 5 nonfood vendors. Sweets: free admission flyer on their fb page, $1/token, so much delicious greek food, festive greek music, visitors speaking greek, leather crafting in kids area atleast 2 tokens. You can also cash back any extra tokens you have leftover. Church is also some kind of greek school? Lots of food vendors. No: no sign where lines for food start making it confusing and really annoying, the good food stands have really really long lines, some nonfood items (ie clothing, plates, books) not worth it. Parking is very scarce. Super hot weather. I would come back next year, but early enough where the line for the good food doesn't stretch to the entrance.

This was my first time at the Greek festival and it definitely exceeded my expectations! TIPS : 1) Print out a free admission ticket on their Facebook! Free admission makes the festival so worth it. I hate entrances fees on top of buying your food urg!! 2) Also, vendors take card and cash, YAY! 3) BRING WATER!!! It's so dang hot and a bottle of water is $2.. Booooooo 4) When driving here, look out for festival parking signs, there's a free shuttle that will take you to the festival. My bf and I were so hyped to try the food!! We both love Greek food and were excited to try homemade authentic Greek food. First, we did a walkthrough of the festival. The festival is on the smaller scale, lots of food vendors ranging from sweets to savory, couple of art/ clothing shops, a stage, and a cafetaria with more homemade food. (Check out the booklet, they give you to read all about the different food menus!) ON TO WHAT WE ATE: Loukoumades: Fried honey mini donuts $5 DELISH! So goooood. Kinda reminded me of a beignets. Definitely a must! Frappe: $4 I really liked this coffee! I loved how foamy it was and it was not too sweet like Starbucks.. :) perfect on this hot day!! Veggie gyro: $7 OMG this was so BOMB. First of the all, the pita was to die for!! SUPER SOFT AND FLUFFY. Best pita I've ever had. BF agreed with me as well. Secondly, the yogurt dressing was great!! Instead of meat, I got French fries in my gyro, I mean how awesome is that?!? I'll take any excuse to stick French fries in my food hehe. French fries: $3 Yummy :) they had some garlic seasoning ( I think...) on the fries!! Whatever it was, it was good! Overall, solid fesitval! Spent about an 1 - 1/2 hours here, which was good for me because I had other things to do. Left with happy full tummies. I recommend visiting and will be coming back next year! :)

We attended this festival last Saturday (May 30th). This was my first Greek Festival ever, but have heard about it for a while now. Yes, I went for the FOOD mostly. Had the Gyros, Loukanika, potato like fries (similar to garlic fries but its not), and Kalamari. All of the above mentioned were very good. I really liked the way they prep'd the Kalamari. Had to buy that one twice! To top it off, went with a LARGE order of Loukoumades. Filipinos make a similar dish to the Loukoumades, called Cascaron. Nonetheless, its very good and sweet. Oh, we also tried this 'powdery' cookie, which was VERY good but I forgot the name of it. Might as well top it off with one of the MANY baklava's. Very sweet to the tooth in deed. Yes, we tried that too. Overall experience at this festival was awesome. Great weekend weather to accompany such a fine festive event. Will look forward to the next one most definitely! PS, See attached pix of some of the food I mentioned in this review.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDURv8fj9dk Did you ever know that you're my gyro and everything I would like to eat? I can park farther than The Alameda, 'cause you are the spanakopites stuck in my teeth It might have appeared to go unnoticed, but I've got it all here in my heart. I want you to know I know the truth (of course I know it) I would be hungry without you...

If you haven't had authentic Greek food cooked up by talented Greek Grandmas...then you really haven't lived. And I'd say get yourself over to the Greek Festival...except that it just happened this last weekend. So now you have to wait another year before you can really experience the extreme yumminess that is the St. Nicholas' Greek Festival that happens annually. This was our fourth or so year going...we didn't go last year since we were out of town, and this year it was even better since we were really excited. It also seemed like it was more organized, it was cleaner, they have more inside bathrooms (a real plus for the gals), their new hall is done (maybe it was done last year but it wasn't done the year before!). We walk over since it's not that far...and it is nice to not have to deal with the parking and the shuttle and the coordination. There's so much food you don't know where to turn, what to try. They say it's pretty much all prepared by the Greek community that belongs to St. Nicholas, though they also have restaurants like Evvia and Kokkari serving as well. However why do we want to come here and eat restaurant food when we can get that anytime?? We go straight for the real stuff. A standout for us is the garlicy lemon potato fries...the Greek salad...somehow it makes all the other limp salad combos you've ever had labeled Greek Salad pale in comparison. Bright tomatoes and chunks of fat feta...so yummy. The tzatiki ruins you for all future store-bought options. Their mouth-watering desserts are all names that are entirely unpronounceable, but I sure like to point and pay...and then consume. The little fried doughnut chunks that they sell, saturated with honey and nuts are just so delectable it's amazing that my better half and I didn't come to blows over our 'way too small' regular portion size. Cheap Greek wine, the cold wind slapping your cheeks, and sweetly-sung music warbling over the loudspeaker as you watch a bunch of people dance in a circle, good times...is it May of next year yet???

I simply adore this Greek Festival. I've been going here for years now, and it's fun & delicious every time! This year, the hubby & I were heading to Carmel the same weekend as the festival. But, we couldn't leave for our trip without gorging on some amazing Greek food first. First off, print off a coupon for free admission from the church's website. Save your money for the food! Trust me. You're gonna need it. There's a parking lot nearby that provides a shuttle to and from the church. [We usually find street parking and work for the food by walking it off!] Once you're at the church, use the handy dandy program guide to find out where all the goodies are. Next, head over to exchange your cash for tokens [$1 cash = $1 token]. Then, depending on what you want to eat, scope out the copious amounts of food they offer. Sure, you can have your moussaka and lamb chops, but what about the pastitio or gyro or dolmanthes? The main thing is to pace yourself. Better to go with friends who share the same appetite and love of [Greek] food as you do. Next, dessert. Okay, I'd have to see *the* main attraction of the festival is the loukoumades [fried little honey puffs drizzled in honey and cinnamon and nuts]. Line can sometimes wrap around like an amusement park, but it moves swiftly and your patience will be greatly rewarded. There's even a "lower sugar" version that uses Splenda. But, really, c'mon. Where's the fun in that? Also, you'd be remiss to check out the goodies at the Kafenion, a coffee & pastries wonderland. I have a newfound love for Galaktoboureko [phyllo + custard], which I finally learned how to pronounce! Frappes are good at the main stand, but the hot coffee is crazy good at the corner stand. Oh, and that loud music you hearing blaring around you? That'd be the live music from Mythos Band. There are also live performances, as well as public dancing. Yeup. That's right. If you're feeling sprightly or food drunk, get up on that dance floor and show them your moves! And then, you know, go get some more food. Opa! ;D