By Brooklynn Wong
A small Greek enclave exists in west Anaheim, and once a year they gather at a beautiful church in an otherwise unassuming neighborhood between Crescent and Lincoln.
This year’s iteration of OC Greek Fest took place this past weekend, drawing hundreds over the course of the three-day festival at Saint John the Baptist Greek Orthodox Church.
The church is a nearly 60-year-old spectacle, consecrated in in 1961, putting on regular services in addition to cultural events.
OC Greek Fest perennially draws attendees from all across the county, both Greeks who enjoy the fellowship with others, and non-Greeks who perhaps wish they were, or at least enjoy the food and festivities.
People danced to the traditional music of a live band, perused an outdoor marketplace selling trinkets and cultural treasures, chose from the wide variety of gyro, souvlaki, and spanakopita, and wandered into the beautiful sanctuary.
There were wine tastings, cooking demonstrations and tours of the whole church scheduled at times throughout the weekend.
Before landing on St. John’s as a home, the festival was held for the first time in 1966 in Brea, then at the Los Alamitos Race Track for many years, then Cypress College.
Since the 1980s, St. John’s has been its home.
