New Jersey’s BEST Greek Festival Returns
May 16 -19, 2019
Now in its 46th Year!
Saint George Greek Orthodox Church, 1101 River Road, Piscataway, NJ
PISCATAWAY, NJ – Kick-off New Jersey’s Greek Festival Season at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1101 River Road, Piscataway, during our 46th Annual Greek Festival, taking place May 16 – 19, 2019. NEW hours of operation are: Thursday, noon – 10 PM; Friday, noon – 11:00 PM; Saturday, noon – 11:30 PM, and Sunday, noon – 7 PM. May 2019 is the 46thAnniversary of this Central Jersey tradition, and as such, several of the Festival’s amenities have been improved and expanded. As always, homemade Greek food and pastries, live music, traditional Greek Folk Dancing, as well as Church tours and cultural information will be found throughout the weekend. Admission is free all day Thursday; otherwise it is a $2 donation to enter the Festival. Free parking is available on-site as well as at Rutgers High Point Solutions Stadium, with free shuttle service to/from the Festival. Magic 98.3 FM will be joining us in the Outdoor Taverna from 6 – 8 pm on Thursday, May 16 for music and games.
Each year, the parish of St. George, Piscataway, works together to host the Festival and bring its well-known “Greek Hospitality” to the community. The event is currently a staple in Piscataway Township and Middlesex County, and is one of the largest and well-attended Greek Festivals in the state of New Jersey with over 20,000 patrons attending throughout the weekend. This Central Jersey tradition is known for its warm hospitality, enthusiastic volunteers and delicious homemade Greek foods and pastries. The recipes used have been passed down for several generations within our community, and are a testament to the dedication we have to our Greek heritage.
“Our Festival is unique in that our volunteers prepare the pastries and foods from scratch, just like their parents and grandparents did. These recipes have been in our parish for generations, and have been used since the beginning of our Festival!” said George Athanasopoulos, Festival Chair. “Quality is important to us. We spend months preparing so that our guests can have the best experience possible.”
Returning & New Amenities: Outdoors: The Taverna space has been expanded and streamlined to expedite food pick-up, as well as to create more space to enjoy the festivities. Grilled items like gyro, souvlakia, loukaniko and grilled octopus bring a taste of Greece to Central Jersey. A “Gyro Platter” piled high with gyro meat, lettuce, tomato, Greek fries, and pita bread will join the Outdoor Taverna menu. The Youth Booth has also been expanded to offer more Baklava, Kataifi, and Greek yogurt sundaes. Indoors: In addition to the Bakery, Coffee Shop and classic Greek dinner meals like chicken Athenian, Pastitsio, Moussaka, and sliced lamb, vendors like Hellenis Imports, Mati Jewels, D’s Jewelers, Anastasia’s Costume Jewelry, and Demi Olive Oil will be available with a variety of Greek and Greek-inspired gifts ready for you to take home! Live Greek music and our award-winning Greek folk dance groups return to entertain patrons of all ages. We look forward to seeing you on the dance floor!
Short on time? Pre-order your food at: greekfestival.gocnj.org. Secure payment is through Paypal, and all major credit cards are accepted. There is also expanded dedicating parking, and pick-up located in the parking lot for pre-paid orders (look for the Blue tiny house!). “Take-Out is one of our most popular amenities, especially during lunchtime. We have streamlined the process with the online Pre-Order site, and the dedicated pick-up location in the parking lot. We hope this will help relieve lines, and get those patrons who are rushed, in and out quickly” continued Athanasopoulos.
Founded by Greek immigrants in 1916, the Community of St. George is the largest Greek Orthodox parish in central New Jersey and consists of over 800 families. Its parishioners are engaged in a wide variety of professional, social and volunteer activities throughout the State. As a 501 (c)3 non-profit, the church tends to the spiritual needs of its parishioners, and perpetuates the Greek culture through its youth programming, Greek language and religion classes, traditional Greek folk dancing program, and its Annual Festival.
###
