PISCATAWAY, NJ – New Jersey’s Greek Festival season kicks off with the 45th Annual Greek Festival at St. George Greek Orthodox Church, 1101 River Road in Piscataway, May 17-20. New hours of operation are: Thursday, noon – 10 PM; Friday, noon – 11 PM; Saturday, noon – 12 AM, and Sunday, noon – 8 PM.

May 2018 is the 45th Anniversary 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 are just some of the features throughout the weekend. Admission is free all day Thursday and Friday until 4 pm; after 4 PM Friday and Saturday and Sunday admission is a $2 donation. Free parking is available on site as well as at Rutgers High Point Solutions Stadium.

“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.

New for 2018: Pre-order your food at: greekfestival.gocnj.org. Secure payment is through Paypal, and all major credit cards are accepted. There is also dedicated parking, and pick-up located in the parking lot for pre-paid orders (look for the Blue tiny house).

“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,” continued Athanasopoulos.

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. The Youth Booth has been expanded to offer more baklava, kataifi, and Greek yogurt sundaes.

Indoors, in addition to the Bakery, a Coffee Shop will debut in the Community Center serving Greek and American coffee, tea, and pastries. The Festival will also be presenting a variety of vendors for their patrons’ shopping needs including a Bakaliko (Greek groceries and gifts), as well as Axia Creations, Mati Jewels, Velvet & Jute Soaps, D’s Jewelers, Anastasia’s Costume Jewelry, and Fun House Productions.

Each year, the parish of St. George 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 well-attended Greek Festivals in the state of New Jersey. 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 the community, a testament to the connection with our Greek heritage.

Founded by Greek immigrants on October 15, 1916, in a temporary location in New Brunswick, NJ, the Community of St. George, presently located at 1101 River Road in Piscataway, is the largest Greek Orthodox parish in central New Jersey with 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 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, traditional Greek folk dancing program, and its Annual Festival.