PISCATAWAY, NJ – New Jersey’s Greek Festival Season begins at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1101 River Road, Piscataway, at the 44^th Annual Greek Festival, from May 18-21. Hours of operation are Thursday, 11 AM – 11 PM; Friday, 11 AM – 11:30 PM; Saturday, 11 AM – 12:30 AM, and Sunday, 12 – 8 PM.  This year marks the 44^th Anniversary of this Central Jersey tradition, and 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 are just some of the features of the event. Admission is free all day Thursday and Friday until 4 PM; 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.

New for 2017- Take-Out is now available for pre-order via: greekfestival.gocnj.org. Secure payment is through Paypal, and all major credit cards are accepted for this amenity. There is also dedicating parking, and pick-up located in the parking lot for the pre-paid Take-Out orders. Thursday’s hours have been increased, the outdoor Taverna has been expanded, and Baklava sundaes will make their debut this year!

“Each year we strive to improve our Festival. We listen to our supporters, and based on their feedback we tweak our amenities to make the experience even better!” said George Athanasopoulos, Festival Chair. “Take-Out is one of the most popular amenities, especially during lunch. 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.”

Returning in 2017- Live Greek music, singers, six community Greek folk dance groups, souvlakia, gyros, ouzo, wine, chicken Athenian, pastitsio, moussaka, fried calamari, grilled octopus, and Greek pastries can be enjoy in our air- conditioned community center in addition to the outdoor Taverna, Bakery, and Gift Shops.

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 a staple in Piscataway Township and Middlesex County, and is one of the largest and most popular Greek Festivals in the state of New Jersey and is known for its warm hospitality, enthusiastic volunteers and delicious homemade Greek food and pastries. The recipes used have been passed down for several generations within our community, and are a testament to the connection we have to our Greek heritage.  

At the Annual Greek Festival at St. George Church in Piscataway, NJ. Photo by Arete Bouhlas Tzovolos

Founded by Greek immigrants on October 15, 1916, in a temporary location on the corner of Church and Nielsen Streets in New Brunswick, NJ, the Community of St. George, presently located at 1101 River Road in Piscataway, NJ, 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. A 501 (c)3 non-profit, the church not only tends to the spiritual needs of its parishioners, but also serves to sustain and perpetuate the Greek culture through its youth programming, Greek language and religion classes, its Annual Festival, and traditional Greek folk dancing program, as well as support community involvement through its many organizations such as the Philoptochos St. Barbara Chapter, PTO, Senior Citizens, Cretans Fraternity, St. George Knitting Group and chapters of the American Hellenic Education Progressive Association (AHEPA) and Daughters of Penelope.

More information is available online at http://gocnj.org/festival/ and by phone: 732-463-1642.