CAMPBELL, OH – Crowds of people, Greeks and non-Greeks alike, visited the Archangel Michael community’s annual Greek Festival in Campbell, which took place over three days, September 27-29.

Presiding priest of the community Fr. Steve Denas, told The National Herald that not only the parish but also the wider areas in general look forward to the festival every year to taste delicious traditional food and sweets and have a good time all together.

He said: “It is a promotion of Greek hospitality, kindness, culture, religion, and cuisine that at the same time provides financial and moral support. The visitors are entertained with Greek music, with performances from the dance groups, and there is an amusement park for the children.”

In charge of the festival, Nicholas Kalouris thanked, through TNH, the dozens of volunteers who worked countless hours for this success, the sponsors for the donations, and the guests for their contribution.

He said: “The preparations start weeks before, with each team taking on one area, food, entertainment, etc. Our festival has been held every year since the founding of the church in 1955. For the last 30 years or so it has been held twice a year, spring and fall. Thousands of people attend every day from the wider region with all revenues being given, as always, for the operational needs of the church, the youth programs, the Greek and Sunday Schools.”

Nomiki Trikilis, youth president of the Kalymnian Society ‘Prodromos,’ said that all members, aged 18 to 24, help sell ice cream, supervise small children at the amusement park and wherever else they are needed.

Parish Council President Ioannis Kalouris thanked the volunteers for their many months of work, all the donors for their financial support, the neighboring parishes for their support, and the visitors of all nationalities who come to enjoy Greek cuisine and have fun.

Responsible for the sweets, Irene Zembillas, emphasized that many ladies make various traditional sweets, such as kataifi and galaktoboureko, and with the help of many volunteers and students of the Greek School, they run the sweets booth.

Philoptochos Society President Irene Kalouris said that all the food and sweets at the festival are prepared by about 30 members, who work endless hours preparing and cooking everything.

“We make pastitsio, lahanodolmades- stuffed cabbage leaves, souvlakia, tyropita, spanakopita, paximadia, rice pudding, tsoureki and more, all made from fresh ingredients, nothing prepackaged,” she said.