Greek fest brings big proceeds to small businesses, plus family fun
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - Springtime brings the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church’s Greek Festival every year and this weekend is when the community can try some new Greek food and local businesses.
Hundreds of people came out for baklava ice cream, soaps, and jewelry, but it wasn’t just about the food and shopping. For some vendors, this event marks one of their most profitable weekends of the year.
“I’m a homeschool mom, so we do this to subsidize our income and it’s a great learning experience for the kids,” Rhonda Nowicki of Nowicki’s Chickie’s said.
She says it’s like a big family reunion where her kids can have fun and she can make some big sales.
“This is our bread and butter. It’s bigger than the storefronts. It’s bigger than the website. This is, this is huge for us,” she said.
It’s not just the vendors bringing people out to the festival, it’s the food too.
“The food. I love the food,” attendee Samantha Rice said.
On the menu were baklava ice, gyros, and pastries among many other Greek favorites.
Vendor Thalia O’Gorman say it takes a lot of manpower to put on the festival and make the pastries.
“We have workshops every week for three, four hours. The ladies come in and the gentlemen and they come in and make a certain dessert and then we prepare the next one and make variety boxes and box them. It is a, a process, but we love to do it and people love it, so it’s well worth it,’ she said.
The festival is complete with activities for kids and entertainment for the whole family. It brings people and performers from all over the state of Georgia.
“I started dancing here and I’ll come back every year to the festival. I also dance at a few other festivals around the state,” performer Alex Jacobs said.
All proceeds from the festival go to the Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.
“We give church tours so people can learn about our church, which is really nice. And, uh, there’s people that come through that know people in our church and, um, it’s just really a big fellowship for us,” Thalia O’Gorman said.
Sunday, April 30 is the last day of the spring festival. You can stop by at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church on Telfair Street from 11 a.m. til 6 p.m. and if you can’t make it, the festival will be back in the fall.
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