PISCATAWAY, NJ – Kick-off New Jersey’s Greek Festival season at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1101 River Road in Piscataway, at the 46^th Annual Greek Festival, May 16-19. The new hours of operation are: Thursday, noon-10 PM; Friday, noon – 11 PM; Saturday, noon-11:30 PM, and Sunday, noon-7 PM.  Several of the Festival’s amenities have also 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 at the Outdoor Taverna from 6-8 PM on Thursday, May 16 for music and games.

Each year, the parish of St. George, Piscataway, hosts 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 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 have been passed down for several generations within our community, a testament to the dedication to the 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.”

The Taverna space has been expanded and streamlined to expedite food pick-up, as well as to create more space to enjoy the festivities. The Youth Booth has also been expanded to offer more desserts and classic Greek. 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. Live Greek music and the community’s award-winning Greek folk dance groups return to entertain patrons of all ages.

Pre-ordering food is available online: 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,” 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. 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.

Left to right: Eddie Theokas, Virginia Theokas, Kyriaki Arhontoulis and other church volunteers making the spanakopita for the St. George Greek Festival. Photo: Arete Bouhlas