Yiasou Greek Festival: A Taste of Greece

According to 23 and Me, Paige and I are both primarily Irish, meaning our preferred foreign celebration should come clad in green and orange with a little bit of abhorrent belligerence, but each September, as the sun finds renewed strength in its attempt to stretch summer just a little longer, we circle the Dilworth neighborhood in search of a hidden spot near the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral that might allow us to claim some long lost tie to a heritage the DNA tests somehow missed.

Now an annual tradition in the time we've lived in Charlotte, the Yiasou Greek Festival is the celebration weekend on the calendar we get most excited for.

Soaking in the air, heavy with the sweet smells of cinnamon and fried dough, it's difficult not to allow your mind to dance through the ideas of what is waiting just beyond the front gates. Once inside and among the crowd, the sounds of stringy melodies foreign yet familiar call out through the low roar of wandering strangers, an invitation to explore all the festival has to offer.

As children jump from the steps of the church, and as families catch up on all the shifting elements of life occupying the community, it's hard not to feel at home.

The familiarity of it all is welcoming; for a brief, magical, moment each of us is Greek.

And then there's the food.

Gyros, souvlaki, literal buckets of tzatziki, the spread is undeniable, but there's so much more.

Like a beacon of hope lying at the edge of the sweltering parking lot sits the unassuming temple of the phyllo gods. Laid tight and uniform, cookies, baklava, and bread are all waiting to be selected by those looking to satisfy their sweet tooth once home and fully recovered from their unstoppable Greek indulgence.
 

With cookies in hand, we allow our noses to guide us through the crowd, around the tent, and back to the beckoning scents of fresh perfection.

To say loukoumades are just Greek doughnuts is a disservice to the craftsmen and women behind these fried works of art. The honey drizzle, the shake of the cinnamon as we wait in mouth-watering anticipation, we have to be Greek now.

Right?

The baked goods, the savory selection, there are so many things to fall in love with, but as the summer heat presses on, there is one item stands out every year. 

Baklava sundae.

Heat subsides, the crowd fades away and each of us is lost among the powerful flavors pouring forth from the combination of sweet sticky treat and cold creamy splendor. To describe the feeling the baklava sundae offers on these hot September days, is difficult at best. Joyous, perfect, I'm not sure one word provides the justice this sundae deserves.

From the time we enter the gates to the moment we finish that last cool bite of sundae our odyssey is one of indulgence, of unbelievable food, and it's an opportunity to glimpse into a community through the welcoming smiles of a culture steeped in tradition and history. To say we're thankful for these brief moments each September doesn't seem like enough, but our appreciation is endless.

To the Yiasou Greek Festival and those that make it possible:

Thank you. Thank you so very, very much.

Location: 

Yiasou Greek Festival is hosted by Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral
600 East Blvd Charlotte, NC

Written by: Jeff Wilber @JGWilb | Photos by: Paige Hogan Wilber @PaigeWilhog