The Tacoma Greek Festival returns Friday through Sunday, October 9–11, at St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church on South Yakima Avenue. Admission is free, and visitors can come for a meal, browse the festival tent or spend an afternoon enjoying the music and dancing.
The outdoor tent will serve gyro sandwiches, calamari, souvlaki, Greek fries, loukaniko sausage and loukoumades. There will also be a Greek deli, imported goods and beverages. Inside, the church kitchen is preparing two dinner choices this year: Greek-style chicken and pastitsio, a baked pasta dish often compared to lasagna.
Then there are the pastries. The church lists more than a dozen varieties, including baklava, melomakarona, kourambiethes and galaktobouriko. Organizers say they began baking earlier and made more this year after popular sweets sold out in the past. A new booth will pair baklava with ice cream.
Food is only part of the weekend. St. Nicholas dance groups are scheduled to perform, and visitors can take a tour of the church. It’s a chance to experience the community behind the festival as well as the dishes its volunteers make.
Plan your payment before getting in line: festival booths do not take cash directly. They accept cards and phone payments; visitors who bring cash can exchange it for a free festival spending card with a $10 minimum load. The church also suggests using the T Line from Tacoma Dome Station to avoid the parking squeeze around the festival.
The festival runs 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.–6 p.m. Sunday at 1523 S. Yakima Ave. Food and merchandise cost extra, but entry is free. You can check the festival’s official guide before you go—especially if there’s a particular pastry you don’t want to miss.
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