Pasadena Greek Festival at Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church

The inspiration

The Pasadena Greek Festival began in 1959, a few years after Saint Anthony Greek Orthodox Church was founded in 1954 and settled on its Rosemead Boulevard property, and it has since grown from a small immigrant gathering into an open community tradition^1,2 . What sets it apart from other Greek festivals in the region is that everything on the menu is made from scratch by parish volunteers, and all of the proceeds go to support the church^3,4 . Vicki Kades, the festival's communications coordinator, says about 90 percent of the guests are not Greek or Orthodox, and that the event has become a Pasadena tradition where everyone feels welcome¹ .

Who's behind it

Vicki Kades serves as community communications coordinator, and Christos Vagensas is the Greek Festival co-chairman^1,3 .

What to order

• Baklava: layered filo pastry with chopped nuts, butter and honey syrup .³

What people are saying

Volunteers and longtime participants describe the pastries, especially the melomakarona and other sweets, as authentic to what Greek families grew up with⁶ . Visitors often tell organizers they did not expect to walk away feeling as though they had traveled to Greece for the afternoon¹ .

Why you should try it

If you are staying nearby, it is a rare chance to eat food made with the care of a family kitchen while supporting a church community that treats its visitors as honorary family^1,6 .