UNION, NJ – The annual festival of St. Demetrios in Union, NJ which was held from September 5-8 with Greek-Americans and residents from the broader area enjoying traditional foods and sweets in the church’s courtyard, while having fun with Greek music and shopping at the large outdoor market for souvenirs.
The parish priest, Hiermonk Fr. Evgenios Tsaramanidis, thanked the visitors through The National Herald for honoring the Community with their presence.
He said, “this year, with the good weather on our side, we have many people and great success. This is a festival that showcases Hellenism in the wider New Jersey area and beyond, offering an opportunity for entertainment, and the promotion of Greek traditions, customs, cuisine, and hospitality. At the same time, it raises funds which are so necessary for the operating expenses of our church.”

He concluded with “a big thank you to all the volunteers. They are wonderful people and family members. May God always keep them well and bless them, for they help our parish selflessly, both young and old, sacrificing a significant portion of their time.”

The president of the Parish Council, Vassiliki (Betty) Spiropoulos mentioned that the guests had a great time, enjoying the delicious foods prepared with care. She offered “congratulations to the parishioners, the Philoptochos Society, and all the organizations who have been working tirelessly for months to ensure the festival’s success, as well as to all the sponsors and donors,” she added.

The president of the Philoptochos Society, Irene Papakostas, emphasized that all the members of the association have been working daily for weeks, preparing the sweets, including loukoumades (fried dough with honey) for the festival.
“We’ve made spanakopita, tiropita, loukoumades, kourabiedes, and many other traditional Greek sweets. All the members are here, preparing and serving the guests. We’re doing everything we can to help our beloved parish,” she said.

The youth programs director, Angelo Vrohidis, pointed out that many of the parish’s children were helping at the festival in various roles with a lot of enthusiasm and dedication.

The kitchen manager, Dimitri Papadopoulos, has been serving the St. Demetrios community since 1975, initially as an assistant cook at festivals and in recent years as the head chef. “We’re making pastitsio, moussaka, grilled meats, stuffed vegetables, tiropites, spanakopites, and many other traditional dishes, all fresh and healthy,” he said.

(Some names have been transliterated from Greek to English)