SPOKANE, Wash. — The sounds of young dancers and the aroma of Greek food are filling the grounds of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church this weekend as Spokane’s Greek Festival marks its 90th anniversary.
The event brings together traditional food, dance and cultural traditions, while giving families a chance to reconnect with a celebration that has spanned generations.
That sense of connection is reflected in the Greek concept of parea that centers on community and togetherness. Festival leaders say they want every guest to feel included, regardless of whether they have Greek roots.
“It’s about this community and growing that community,” said the Rev. Daniel Triant, presiding priest at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church. “A lot of people here in our community aren’t of Greek descent, but they have become Greek just by adoption.”
A display at the festival features photos and memorabilia tracing the event back to its first year in 1936. For Barbara Schmedding, whose grandparents helped start the original dinner, those images bring back memories of growing up in the church.
“It’s very nostalgic for me because I grew up in this church and my mother, well, my grandparents helped start the dinner 90 years ago,” Schmedding said. “It’s very special to see my mom in the pictures here. There is a lot of pride to being Greek and to see all of this carried on.”
For Schmedding and many others, the festival remains a yearly homecoming.
“We have all gone on to different places now, but we come back every year to this festival and it feels like home,” Schmedding said. “It really does feel like home.”
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