Dolmathes, dancing and …. American Idol?
Oh, my.
The St. Nicholas Greek Folk Festival returns to St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in (where else?) Greektown for another year, and it has a new headliner: Constantine Maroulis, a competitor on “American Idol,” and a member of the Broadway show, “Rock of Ages.”
Constantine Maroulis will perform Thursday at 7 p.m. in front of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church.
And you thought it was all baklava and pastitsio.
The festivities run on the church grounds at 520 S. Ponca Street, on Thursday, June 11 from noon-11 p.m., on Friday, June 12 and Saturday, June 13 from 11 a.m.-11 p.m., and on Sunday, June 14 from noon-10 p.m. (Maroulis performs at 7 p.m. on Thursday).
In addition, the festival includes Greek folk dancing by children from St. Nicholas’ parish and other area churches and live music by Apollonia Band, featuring recording artist Maria Pearce.
Festival-goers can shop for Byzantine icons, art, jewelry and other Middle Eastern crafts. On Saturday and Sunday, cooking enthusiasts can see demos of authentic Greek cuisine preparations.
And speaking of food: those who come hungry will not be disappointed, according to festival organizers. Traditional foods will be available for sale, including loukoumathes (fried dough puffs with honey syrup), souvlaki (marinated meat on grilled pita bread with tomatoes, fresh parsley, onions and tzatziki sauce) and tyropita (feta cheese filling wrapped inside crispy filo dough).
There will be self-guided tours of the church’s sanctuary with church members available for questions. Visitors can also make donations in order to light prayer candles.
Admission is free for those who want to visit the festival and take in the concert.
And mark the calendar now, since Baltimore’s Showcase of Nations Ethnic Festivals take place throughout the summer and fall. Admission rates may apply and hours will vary.
The following events are upcoming:
LatinoFest: June 27 and 28, Patterson Park.
African American Heritage Festival: July 3-5, Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Caribbean Carnival Festival: July 10-12, Druid Hill Park.
International Festival: Aug. 1-2, Poly/Western High School.
FestAfrica 2009: Aug. 8-9, Patterson Park.
Ukrainian Festival: Sept. 12-13, Patterson Park.
Korean Festival: Sept. 12, War Memorial Plaza.
Russian Festival: Oct. 16-18, Holy Trinity Orthodox Church.
—by Mary Helen Sprecher
newsroom@baltimoreguide.com
