The 40th Annual Greek Festival in Portland, Maine, is This Week

The Portland Greek Festival is something that shouldn't be missed.

First, before I tell you all about the 40th annual Greek Festival of food, music, and dancing at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Pleasant Street in Portland, let's set the mood. Please play the music before reading any further.

Let us begin with how much fun this festival is! It's an absolute blast! Greeks know how to do two things really well: cook and celebrate life!

Greeks show love through food, and this festival is filled with a ton of love.

What Greek food will the Portland Greek Festival have?

This festival is one of my favorite places to get my Greek fix. It's outdoors (rain or shine), and EVERYTHING is fantastic!

• Moussaka - A layered casserole with eggplant, potatoes, ground beef, and cheese, topped with a béchamel sauce. 
• Pastitsio  - A baked pasta dish with ground beef, spices, and cheese topped with a béchamel sauce.  
• Spanakopita  - Buttered layers of crispy flaky phyllo dough with a rich spinach and feta cheese filling.   
• Dolmathes - Grape leaves stuffed with rice and spices. 
• Green Beans - Green beans and zucchini simmered with tomatoes, onions, and spices (one of my favorites!).
• Lamb Souvlaki  - Marinated lamb, skewered and grilled (pork is also an option).

•  Gyro - Roasted meat served in a pita with tomato, onion, and tzatziki sauce, a yogurt sauce with cucumbers, garlic, and spices (okay, this is a favorite too!).
• Chicken Dinner -  Roasted marinated half chicken.  Served with rice pilaf, Greek salad and a roll. 

 Save room for dessert!

• Karithopita - A syrup-soaked cake made with walnuts and spices.
• Koulourakia - Traditional Greek butter cookies shaped in with a twist and covered with sesame seeds. 
• Kourambiethes - Traditional Greek almond butter cookies covered in powdered sugar. 
• Baklava - A sweet flaky pastry made with layers of buttered phyllo dough, filled with chopped walnuts, and cinnamon. Then covered in a honey syrup.

• Finikia - Cookie stuffed with a date, dipped in syrup, and sprinkled with walnuts 
• Loukoumathes - Greek doughnuts covered in a honey syrup with nuts on top. 

This year, for the 40th anniversary, there is a t-shirt that will be a must. You will be able to brag to your friends that you are now part-Greek.

I have been in Maine for 37 years, and have only missed three years of this festival (and that's because I didn't live in Maine).

PRO TIP For attending the 40th Greek Festival in Portland, Maine

Be patient and prepared to wait. I will say, lines can move quickly, and it is very much worth the wait. They are also open for lunch, and have shorter lines. You might not want to wait until Saturday (the last day of the festival), because they often run out of food. That's my bad.