Yiasou Greek Festival

What happens when a big, fat Greek festival hits the Queen city? lots of vehicular and foot traffic bringing Southerners in to get a taste of of gyros and baklava! OPA!
My friend and I decided to go on Sunday, the last day of the festival, thanks in part to the insanely gorgeous weather. Since my friend parked at the south blvd station and took the shuttle to the festival, they gave her free tickets! I made the mistake of driving (during peak times, don’t even bother trying to find a lot closer unless you know someone who knows someone) and had to park my car in the south end, right on camden road and walk (which I didn’t mind thanks to the weather).
Once we arrived, we browsed the vendor booths which had an array of jewelry, scarves, clothing, and various Greek trinkets. We then hightailed it to the gyros booth because we were both starving. Thankfully, the lines were short. I got the chicken gyro and greek fries ($ 6 and $ 4, respectively) and we both grabbed bottles of greek beer ($ 5/​pop). Honestly, the greek beer didn’t have a distinctly different taste, rather it didn’t have much of a taste.
Unfortunately, by the time we browsed the booths and ate, the baklava booth had sold out. major sads. Reason enough to come back next year!

The event was okay. I can’t say I’m dying to go again, nor would I say it was horrible.
I love that Charlotte is big and cohesive enough to even have these cultural events. I know that they’ll just get better and better every year. While it’s a lot smaller than I’m used to and the food left a lot to be desired, I’m grateful that it’s here at all. It’s a good and inexpensive event to go to if you’re looking for something new to do.
Cons:
–Small space, a little too crowded on weekends.
–Line for the church was so much that we ended up just leaving.
–Lines for food were kind of absurd. Go line up before you’re hungry; by the time you get to the front, it’ll be just right. I started out hungry, ended up famished and devoured my subpar gyro in under 3 minutes.
–Subpar food. Gyro was meh. I was so looking forward to one of my favorite desserts: the galactoburek, but it was subpar. All of the desserts were insanely sweet. I’ve never had such diabetes-​inducing baklava.
–Agora had items that were either extremely overpriced or really tourist-​chintzy.
Pros:
–There’s interesting stuff inside the building. You really can learn a good deal about Greek history. For this alone, I’d not only go again, but I’d recommend it to friends.
–Atmosphere was great. People clearly take a lot of pride in this event. The music and dancing in traditional garb was actually really fun and livened everything up.
–People-​watching, of course.
–Wine-​tasting booth. I can’t say the wine was to my taste, but now I can say I’ve tried Greek wine!

First year we have been. Really enjoyed it …
Was super busy the food lines were long but fast and not over priced at all. Could have had a better flow of traffic for people once inside as people were kind of all over the place. But over all a nice fun day !

Yeah I’m a fan. Been too long since I have gone to the Greek Festival in Dilworth but that is my loss.
Was originally going to go on Thursday night but we had torrential downpours in the area. Went this afternoon (Sunday) and the weather could not have been nicer. Clear skies, light breeze and temperatures in the 70’s.
It was crowded as ususal so we ended up parking four blocks away and walking. It was a pleasant walk and gave us a chance to see they old houses of Dilworth that were being renovated.
The festival was fantastic. Several stages with dance exhibitions, great Greek Food and you could eat in or they had outside tables where you could also eat.
One high point was the fact that the priests gave lectures on the Cathedral, it’s art and the significance of that art and differences between Eastern Orthodox vs Western or Roman Catholic practices.
The Cathedral is one of the most beautiful houses of worship in the Charlotte area and well worth taking the weekly tour at 3 pm on Saturday the rest of the year.
As I said, been a number of years since I have been but will be back next year.

As usual it’s that time of year for the Greek festival. I only did drive they this time because it was pouring rain. Food heat as usual. Look forward to the festival every year.

Plenty of things to do for the kids, however, adults beware. If the reason you are attending the festival is to enjoy Authentic Greek food, you are much better off at the local greek restaurant. This is festival «Bizarre» food at best.
Take the kids, enjoy the festivities and have a good time.

Very disappointed this year (2014). Both fish dinners had strong fish. Unlike in the past cheap salad dressing used (Ken’s). Another major disappointment was that the pistachio Greek casserole was NOT included in the meals this year. All this with an increased admission price to $ 3 per person. My family won’t be back next year!
Karl M.

The Greek Festival doesn’t change much from year to year. It’s a well organized festival that includes Greek food served indoors in a large dining room or outside at booths behind one of the buildings (which is a little difficult to find). There are a lot of desserts outside but they are not covered so you have to be careful with those. We found the same desserts boxed up in a room inside next to the main dining hall so that was a little more convenient. They have some vendors inside and outside. Not all of the vendors are Greek-​themed but that’s okay. The basement of one of the buildings had historical lectures about the Orthodox Church and Greek culture. The church itself is beautiful and they have free lectures every hour.
This is a nice event but it is definitely the same thing every year. I believe I first went to it 10 years ago and the festival is exactly the same. The parking is tough especially during peak times. If you just want food, they have a drive thru on Winthrop Ave but note that during lunch time there were at least 15cars in line for it. If you haven’t been to the Greek Festival, I’d say go. If you have been to it, it is the same festival, so I would not make it a necessity to return.

They know how to put on a greekfest here!
The food is awesome, but so are the lines-​be prepared to wait-​but it is worth it.
More than just great food:
Greek dancing preformed
Church tour
Art booths
game booths
kids rides
lectures

This review will only touch on the drive-​through food service, because that’s all we made it to this year. They’ve really got this down to a science. We pulled in line behind a few cars and studied the menu (there were several large posterboard menus which had been attached to trees/​poles down the street.) A volunteer came up to the car window and took our order, two gyros and a Greek salad. It was hard to wait until we got home (barely 5 minutes away) to unwrap the gyros, the aroma of meat, garlic and seasonings immediately filled the car.
The gyros were fantastic, and the Greek salad was large and included generous amounts of pepperoncinis and huge chunks of feta cheese. We were full until well past our normal dinner time.
I was surprised to find that the prices were the same as inside the festival, even though we didn’t have to pay the $ 3 admission fee.

So this joint was a few weeks ago but I figure my review is still valid.
Next year, if you’re thinking about attending and you don’t have any kids; here are a few reasons you may want to attend:
1. Cheap date.
2. Nothing else going on outside on a beautiful sunny day.
3. Feel like spending money on something other than an in-​door activity.
It was a gorgeous day but honestly after eating subpar Greek food and buying a recipe book (which was the highlight of my visit) my man and I mostly sat OUTSIDE the festival to watch the cars go by.
I’m sorry but after eating Greek Fiesta (visit Raleigh/​Durham area), it’s not on the same level.
Wasn’t much for adults to do. Just a whole bunch of kids running around. The performances were aight and at times the service was «Mer» with a side of confusion.
Perhaps by next years event, I’ll have a kid to take with me. It’ll make more sense.

It’s a church festival. You know, the ones you went to while growing up? This one’s fairly sizable and they serve some tasty treats.
There’s not much to write home about, but it’s a fun time. Who doesn’t like a gyro from time to time? There’s a small variety of foods to try, but it’s catering to alot of people, so don’t get your hopes up too high.
The music and dancing make for some nice entertainment while the kids hit up the rides and mom and dad rest their weary bones by sitting at one of the surrounding tables.
Before you decide to make this an all day event, find your closest light rail station. Parking is pretty scarce and there will be plenty of vehicles fighting for it.
Try: Making this a two hour trip… it’s more than enough time.
Avoid: Ordering a hot dog at a Greek festival if you’re not a kid (C’mon people!!)

When an event is crowded I take it as a sign of success, but when it’s *congested* like this one was I see it as a sign of negligent management –or worse greed. The solution is as simple as selling a limited number of tickets ahead of time, obviously the organizers are not interested in that, instead they boast of attendances of 40 and 50 thousands for the event. That’s just crazy.
Unfortunately Charlotteans must be really starved for street festivals since they oblige year in and year out. I don’t know, I’d get if this was a free Rolling Stones concert or another once in a lifetime event … but for Greek folk dancing, gyros and stuff?
Since it’s a community event rather than a purely commercial venture I gave it an extra star.

OPA! This was my first time attending the Yiasou Greek Festival and I was not disappointed. It was everything I expected from a great Greek fest — Authentic Greek cuisine, cultural exhibits, dancing, music, art, and shopping. KC & I went on Saturday around 7 and BOY was it packed!
The space was small and there were a lot of people and things packed in. It was difficult to navigate the tight pathways due to the crowds. Just be patient. Lots of people were loitering in the walkways making traffic move slowly.
The food was really the highlight for me. We got the baked chicken platter, which for $ 11, was a great deal. It came with a quarter chicken, triangle of spanikopita, greek salad, dolmade, pastisto, a piece of bread, and your choice of tea or coffee. I got white meat but they do not ask if you want dark or white meat. I bet you can request either if you have a preference. It was a TON of food. Everything was excellent. We also ordered a gyro. So good!
For dessert, we bought an assortment of pastries and a baklava sundae. The baklava sundae wss worth the price of admission alone. Enough to send you into diabetic coma. Three generous scoops of ice cream topped with a scoop of baklava bits. Amazing.
A few things I learned for next year…
Divide and conquer — There are a lot of different spots that serve food. There were different menus offered inside and outside. I wanted a platter and KC wanted a gyro so we got my platter and then found out we had to wait in a different line outside for the gyro. When you are outside, look for the signs on the tent that tell you what is served in that line. I also wanted a to try a feta pie but I found out that we would have to wait in a different line for that. You can’t get anything else. The lines for food were really long but they moved quickly. Next year we will split up get our respective food choices and meet back up to enjoy them!
Cash is king — There were food lines that accepted credit/​debit but they were not well labeled. Definitely bring cash. It would suck to wait in a long line and find out they don’t take cash. There were a few ATMs around but I’m sure the fees were exorbitant.
Parking sucks — We found parking a few blocks over in the neighborhood. I would recommend taking the light rail or, at the very least, carpooling with friends. They offer a parking shuttle but you’ll have to wait. Oh and avoid driving on East Blvd at all costs. The traffic is awful.
Go early — The food was crave-​worthy and I wanted to reprise the meal on Sunday after a long day of watching football. I decided to try out the drive-​thru dining option that the festival offered. I patiently waited in a long line of cars to turn onto Worthington. When I did, I was disappointed to see that most of the food was crossed off the list. I was able to order a gyro and a piece of spanikopita but all the pastries were sold out. Until next year…
Fun fact: yiasou is the Greek word for hello, goodbye, and cheers.

Hooray! Probably one of my Charlotte «Top 10» things to do in the city, the Yiasou Greek Festival always promises a good time of food, dance, music, merriment, and all things Greek. I think it is so great the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral opens its doors to the public to share its tradition and culture.
I am mostly attracted to all the food and eating activities, but there are many other activities for the whole family to enjoy. First off, the admission is only $ 3 and kids 12 and under are free! There is plenty to do and see once you get in. The Evzones re-​enact the Changing of the Guards around 3 & 7pm every day of the festival. I was lucky enough to catch it yesterday while I was there stuffing my face with pastries. There is live music and dance with multiple stages where the youth from the church perform traditional village dances in traditional costumes.
Usually I kick myself because the last couple of years I have gone, it has been rather late, everything has been broken down for the day and feels like a tornado hit the church with all the debris and merriment that people before me got to enjoy. This year I went on opening day and it was great! No lines to wait in… they are super organized this year as far as lines and signage. Before you just got in line and hoping it was the right one!
I enjoyed my chicken pita, Greek fries, and Mythos beer. Ended my day (and probably shortened my life a little) with some baklava ice cream. A huge serving of baklava (minus the pastry part) over 3 scoops of vanilla ice cream. So delicious and sweet. Then my friend had too many Loukoumades [they are very generous with the number you get], so I had one of those as well.
The new thing I got to see this year were the indoor exhibits and gift shops, very cool stuff available to shop and browse through: jewelry, art, and lots of gift items.
The only tricky thing about this event is the parking. I usually try to scope out some side street parking in the neighboring streets, but it looks like everyone does the same thing. There is a lot to park in at the corner of East and Scott Ave (across from 131 Main) and there is a shuttle that will take you .75 miles to the festival as well.

Every September the ambrosial aromas of roasted lamb, spanakopita, and baklava waft through Dilworth, drawing Greeks and barbarians alike to Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church like some irresistible siren song. So dig out those old Edith Hamilton books, pop in that Yanni «Live at the Acropolis» CD (don’t act like you don’t own it!) and get ready for the Hellenic awesomeness that is the Yiasou Greek Festival!
This festival may be more or less the same every year, but as the ancient Greeks used to say (in their equivalent to «honey badger don’t give a sh*t»), «Hippocleides doesn’t care». It’s always a great day out. And how can you really get bored with something that only comes around once a year anyway? The food is delicious and reasonably priced. They have live Greek music and dance going pretty much non-​stop. There are rides for the kids and cultural exhibits and documentaries for adults. In recent years they’ve even had Classics professors from UNCC and Davidson College giving mini lectures on the Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae, Athenian democracy, Doric/​Corinthian/​Ionian architecture, etc. And if the heat gets to be too much you can find refuge from Helios’ rage in the cool, dimly lit but beautiful cathedral.
I do have a couple pieces of advice though .
1. The festival is wildly popular. As such, parking is a nightmare. If at all possible, utilize public transportation. The rather indecisively named East/​West Blvd Station on LYNX Blue line is only about half a mile (or 10 minutes walk) away with sidewalks the whole way.
2. You will likely hear loads of people raving about the baklava sundaes. In my opinion, the addition of ice cream to baklava serves only to diminish the pleasures of both. It’s just too sweet. Instead, order the baklava plain and enjoy it with an iced frappé and stave off the beetus for another year.
Yiamas!

Everyone else seems to love this festival but to me it’s just an average festival that gets too crowded for the space it is held on.
This festival mostly consists of food with a small mix of entertainment (a lot of dancing), a few rides for the kids, and a few vendors selling everything from grocery type foods to clothing.
The food that I’ve had here was decent and the greek donuts are wonderful.
If the festival were a little more spread out, maybe I would enjoy it more. The good thing about this is I live close so I can walk to the festival instead of driving all around Dilworth trying to find a parking space.

First timer to the Greek Festival this year and I am so glad I went! Be warned, this place is PACKED. But it is so worth it.
The food is amazing, the atmosphere is lively, and there is plenty of people watching to do as you stuff your face with the most delicious gyro and Greek fries you’ve ever tasted.
Also, for those dessert lovers out there — there is a desert BUFFET (to put it in over-​sized American terms) where you can literally just walk down this beautiful line of Greek desserts and pick the ones you would like. It’s about $ 2 a dessert. I split three with a friend and we barely made a dent.
And the best dessert of all? My friend and I were walking through the festival having a nice conversation when she slaps my arm (hard) and says, «Shut your pie-​hole! Does that say Baklava Sundae?!» Needless to say, you should probably try one of those.
Another added bonus is the jewelry. Beautiful gold, turquoise, silver and much much more. I wish I would’ve came more prepared because I would’ve walked out of there with a new jewelry collection! Lovely stuff.
Overall A+ here. Don’t miss it!

I have to say that it’s been something like 10 years since I have actually been inside the gates of the Greek Festival. Which is okay. Even at the low, low bargain price of only $ 2, I don’t feel like I’m missing much.
Sure, there is culture and there are rides (though I probably can’t fit on any of them), but mostly there are lines. Lines to get into one room and lines to get to the food and lines to get in in the first place. But mostly there are lines just to get there because you have to park so far away.
So now I just use the drive-​through. Yes, you can get that lovely food to go by simply going through a drive-​through, much like any other fast-​food place (except the food is probably better). You do have to deal with traffic, but take a right on Winthrop (I think it’s Winthrop). Give them your order, pay and you’re done.
Even better is that they don’t sell everything (such as the Greek donuts — or Loukoumades as Eric says), but they will actually let you park and run in the back entrance and pick them up and take them with you. Simple awesomeness.

I am not a huge fan of the month of September and never have been. It’s still hot out with a hint of cool in the air and not quite fall yet. However, one thing that makes me look forward to September is the Greek Festival. It’s only $ 2 admission, they have great food with lines that move fast (they also have wine and beer-​along with Greek beer and American), tours of the church, entertainment such as traditional Greek dancing along with little stands of jewelry, art and little trinkets.
If you don’t feel like going in, you can drive up and get a meat-​o-​licious gyro to go or other goodies such as baklava, spanokopita and more. This is easily accessible from the light rail but no parking so you either can light rail, walk or find off street parking in Dilworth. All in all, I wouldn’t miss Greek Fest for the world. I may even go twice this yr!