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Spokane’s Greek Fest celebrates 90 years of faith, culture and community growth
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church celebrates 90 years of Greek Fest in Spokane, featuring food, music, traditions, community, and support for regional fire relief.
By Samuel Cooley | For FāVS News
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church will be celebrating a rare milestone this September when it opens its doors for its annual Greek Fest: 90 years of sharing food, music and hospitality with the Inland Northwest.
The three-day event, Sept. 24-26, has blossomed from a humble parish gathering into a Spokane tradition, billed by organizers as the longest-running Greek food festival in the nation. But this year’s milestone is doubly significant, coming at a time of rapid post-COVID growth for the Holy Trinity congregation.
“It’s humbling to stand on the shoulders of the people who built up what we have,” said the Rev. Daniel Triant, head priest at Holy Trinity. “Starting through the Depression and enduring over nine decades, so much work has gone into making this festival what it is.”
That legacy is closely tied to recent growth. Triant has witnessed an influx of new seekers joining the parish since arriving in 2020, bringing in 35 to 36 new converts to the faith just this year.
Central to that nine-decade run is “parea” — a Greek concept describing a tightly knit, welcoming community.
“Our church started in the 1920s with immigrants who didn’t know anybody,” Triant explained. “Today, not many parishioners are of Greek descent, yet we continue that idea of ‘parea.’ Working together for three days solidifies that unity and allows us to bring the broader community into that hospitality.”
‘It’s like a big family’
That feeling of family has gone from generation to generation. Elene Schumacher, whose family ties helped launch the festival in 1935, recalls stories of her mother and aunts serving at early sit-down dinners during the 1940s and even meeting future spouses among visiting service members.
“It’s in our blood; we have to do it,” Schumacher said. “Now, we have little kids — 8 or 10 years old — putting cloves in the baklava to get involved early. It’s like a big family opening up our house and inviting people in, sharing our food and culture so they leave with a full stomach and a happy experience.”
This year, along with the usual favorites such as baklava and loukoumades, there are a few new additions to the 90th anniversary lineup. Festivalgoers on Thursday and Friday can partake in public dance lessons, snag limited-edition 90th anniversary Yeti mugs, wander through a museum-style Memorial Wall or enter a raffle for a seat at a nostalgic downstairs hall dinner, a fan-favorite returning for a special engagement.
Mindful of recent local hardships, the parish is also using the milestone to give back, committing a portion of festival proceeds to regional fire relief efforts.
“The success of this festival over 90 years comes because Spokane has supported us,” Triant said. “With the devastating fires, helping out was a complete no-brainer. We want to do Christ’s work by supporting our neighbors in need.”
If You Go
- What: 90th Annual Holy Trinity Greek Food Festival
- When: Sept. 24–26, 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily
- Where: Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, 1703 N. Washington St., Spokane
- Details: Free admission; cash and credit cards accepted. In-person church tours daily at 12:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
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