90 years of Greek culture in Spokane celebrated this weekend

SPOKANE — Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church is opening its doors this week for its 90th Annual Greek Festival, inviting the community to experience authentic Greek culture, food, and tradition.

The festival runs Thursday through Saturday,11 a.m. to 8 p.m., at 1703 North Washington Street. Entry is free for all ages.

“90 years is massive,” said Anna Haugen, festival chair. “As we know it, it’s the longest-running Greek festival in the nation. Our small little church here in Spokane, Washington gets to put this on every year.”

Attendees can enjoy traditional Greek staples including gyros, loukoumades, and baklava, along with the church’s kafenio, marketplace and bookstore. The Opa Dancers will perform throughout the weekend, and the church is inviting the public to learn and participate in traditional Greek dances on Thursday and Friday during daytime hours.

To mark the milestone, the church has introduced several new attractions. A raffle offers prizes including Greek dance lessons, a gift basket and tickets to the traditional Greek dinner held in the church’s downstairs hall.

A 90-year memorial wall will also provide a museum-style walk-through showcasing the iconic people and events that have shaped the festival’s history.

For many who have attended over the decades, the festival represents more than just food and entertainment. Eleni Schumacher, a longtime attendee whose grandparents built the church, described the experience as deeply personal.

“It is like a family reunion kind of, but also we like we were saying earlier. It just kind of brings tears to your eyes because you see these people that are long gone. And such personalities,” Schumacher said.

The church is also using the celebration to give back to the community. A portion of this year’s festival proceeds will be donated to fire relief efforts for those affected by recent fires in the region.

You can read more about the festival through this link.